Prophylactic recombinant epoetin alfa markedly reduces the need for blood transfusion in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with biochemotherapy

J D Wolchok; V M Klimek; L Williams; P B Chapman

Prophylactic recombinant epoetin alfa markedly reduces the need for blood transfusion in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with biochemotherapy

Cytokines Cell Mol Ther. 1999 Dec;5(4):205-6.

Authors

J D Wolchok¹, V M Klimek, L Williams, P B Chapman

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.

PMID: 10850383

Abstract

Treatment of metastatic melanoma with biochemotherapy results in the rapid onset of anemia, requiring blood transfusion in 9 of 13 (69%) patients. Prophylactic use of weekly subcutaneous recombinant epoetin alfa eliminated the need for transfusion in all but 1 of 21 (5%) patients.

MeSH terms

Anemia / economics
Anemia / prevention & control*
Anemia / therapy
Blood Transfusion / economics
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Drug Therapy / economics
Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
Epoetin Alfa
Erythropoietin / economics
Erythropoietin / therapeutic use*
Hematinics / economics
Hematinics / therapeutic use*
Humans
Melanoma / drug therapy*
Melanoma / economics
Melanoma / pathology
Neoplasm Metastasis
Quality of Life
Recombinant Proteins

Substances

Hematinics
Recombinant Proteins
Erythropoietin
Epoetin Alfa