Skip to main content

When to use red blood cell transfusions in cancer patients with solid tumours?

  • Chapter
Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (rhEPO) in Clinical Oncology

Abstract

A major population of cancer patients experience anaemia during the course of their disease process and by treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and also whilst on supportive therapies (Groopman and Itri 1999). Red Blood Transfusion (RBT) is the most commonly used form of correction of anaemia worldwide and in the United Kingdom (U.K) alone over 3 million blood product transfusions are carried out each year (McClelland et al. 2007).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Amato A, Pescatori M (2006) Peri-operative blood transfusions for the recurrence of colorectal cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 25(1): CD005033

    Google Scholar 

  2. Barrett-Lee PJ, Bailey NP, O’Brien ME, Wager E (2000) Large-scale UK audit of blood transfusion requirements and anaemia in patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy. Br J Cancer 82(1): 93–7

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bokemeyer C, Aapro MS, Courdi A, Foubertd H., Linke A, Osterborg L, Repetto, Soubeyran P (2007) EORTC guidelines for the use of erythropoietic proteins in anaemic patients with cancer: 2006 update in anaemic patients with cancer. Eur J Cancer 43: 258–270

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Booth S, Bruera E (2003) Palliative care consultations in haemato-oncology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  5. Daly T, Poulsen MG, Denham JW, Peters LJ, Lamb DS, Krawitz H, Hamilton C, Keller J, Tripcony L, Walker Q (2003) The effect of anaemia on efficacy and normal tissue toxicity following radiotherapy for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Radiother Oncol 68(2): 113–122

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Engert A (2000) Recombinant human erythropoietin as an alternative to blood transfusion in cancer-related anaemia. Disease Management and Health Outcomes 8: 259–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lee WR, Berkey B, Marcial V, Fu KK, Cooper JS, Vikram B, Coia LR, Rotman M, Ortiz H (1998) Anemia is associated with decreased survival and increased loco-regional failure in patients with locally advanced head and neck carcinoma: a secondary analysis of RTOG 85–27. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1;42(5): 1069–1075

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gleeson C, Spencer D (1995) Blood transfusion and its benefits in palliative care. Palliat Med 9(4): 307–313

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Grant DG, Hussain A, Hurman D (1999) Pre-treatment anaemia alters outcome in early squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx treated by radical radiotherapy. J Laryngol Otol 113(9): 829–833

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Grogan M, Thomas GM, Melamed I, Wong FL, Pearcey RG, Joseph PK, Portelance L, Crook J, Jones KD (1999) The importance of hemoglobin levels during radiotherapy for carcinoma of the cervix. Cancer 15; 86(8): 1528–1536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Groopman JE, Itri LM (1999) Chemotherapy-induced anaemia in adults: incidence and treatment. J Natl Cancer Inst 91: 1616–1634.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Leibovitz A, Baumoehl Y, Walach N, Kaplun V, Sigler E, Balan S, Habot B (2004) Medical staff attitudes: views and positions regarding blood transfusion to terminally ill cancer patients. Am J Clin Oncol 27(5): 542–546

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ludwig H, Van Belle S, Barrett-Lee P, Birgegard G, Bokemeyer C, Gascon P, Kosmidis P, Krzakowski M, Nortier J, Olmi P, Schneider M, Schrijvers D (2004) The European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS): a large, multinational, prospective survey defining the prevalence, incidence, and treatment of anaemia in cancer patients. Eur J Cancer 40(15): 2293–2306

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. MacRae R, Shyr Y, Johnson D, Choy H (2002) Declining haemoglobin during chemo-radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer is significant. Radiother Oncol 64(1): 37–40

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. McClelland DBL, et al (2007) Handbook of transfusion medicine, 4th edn. TSO publishers, www.tsoshop.co.uk

    Google Scholar 

  16. Monti M, Castellani L, Berlusconi A, Cunietti E (1996) Use of red blood cell transfusions in terminally ill cancer patients admitted to a palliative care unit. J Pain and Symptom Management 12(1): 18–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Quirt I, Kovacs M, Couture F, Turner AR, Noble M, Burkes R, Dolan S, Plante RK, Lau CY, Chang J (2006) Patients previously transfused or treated with epoetin alfa at low baseline hemoglobin are at higher risk for subsequent transfusion: an integrated analysis of the Canadian experience. Oncologist 11(1): 73–82

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Rizzo JD, Lichtin AE, Woolf SH, Seidenfeld J, Bennett CL, Cella D, Djulbegovic B, Goode MJ, Jakubowski AA, Lee SJ, Miller CB, Rarick MU, Regan DH, Browman GP, Gordon MS (2002) Use of epoetin in patients with cancer: evidence-based clinical practice guidelines of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. J Clin Oncol 20(19): 4083–4107

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Twycross R, Wilcock A (Editors in Chief) (2007) Palliative care formulary, 3rd edn. Palliativedrugs.com Ltd, Nottingham, UK

    Google Scholar 

  20. Williamson LM, Lowe S, Love EM, Cohen H, Soldan K, McClelland DBL, Skacel P, Barbara JAJ (1999) Serious hazards of transfusion (SHOT) initiative: analysis of the first two annual reports. Br Med J 319: 16–19

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jayin K. Jacob .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer-Verlag/Wien

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Jacob, J.K., Barrett-Lee, P.J. (2008). When to use red blood cell transfusions in cancer patients with solid tumours?. In: Nowrousian, M.R. (eds) Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (rhEPO) in Clinical Oncology. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-69459-6_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-69459-6_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-25223-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-211-69459-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics