For patients who do not respond to epoetin-alfa therapy, transfusions are essential. However, there are risks involved with blood transfusions, including possible infection and immune suppression. Repeated transfusions may also cause iron overload and require iron chelation therapy. And then there are limitations in blood supply itself. Epoetin-alfa, on the other hand, has been proven to be a safe and effective alternative to blood transfusions for the treatment of anemia in most cancer patients.
Side effects do occur, but they are infrequent.
In a study presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, Dr. Dusan Kotasek of the Ashford Cancer Centre in Adelaide, Australia reported on a promising new treatment regimen to combat anemia in cancer patients. Specifically, Kotasek documented findings involving the drug darbepoiten-alpha, which is manufactured by Amgen. The new treatment can be administered once every three weeks to fight anemia, Kotasek said, instead of the current standard regimen requiring multiple doses each week. His study involved 163 patients with solid tumors who were undergoing chemotherapy treatments for their cancer. It can include feeling tired, weak, exhausted, slow, or simply lethargic.