Objetivos. Determinar la frecuencia y el valor pronóstico de la anemia en pacientes con cáncer atendidos en el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas (INEN) entre enero y abril del 2010. Materiales y métodos. Se consideró anemia en varones cuando la hemoglobina fue <13 g/dL, y en mujeres cuando fue <12 g/dL. Para determinar asociaciones se usó la prueba Chi-cuadrado. Para el análisis de las curvas de sobrevida se usó el estimador de Kaplan-Meier y log rank test. Resultados. 772 pacientes fueron incluidos; 584 (75,7%) tuvieron tumores sólidos y 188 (24,3%) neoplasias hematológicas. Se diagnóstico anemia en 359 (46,5%) pacientes, en 124 (66,0%) neoplasias hematológicas, y en 235 (40,2%) neoplasias sólidas. Las neoplasias hematológicas con mayor frecuencia de anemia fueron la leucemia mieloide crónica, las leucemias agudas, y el mieloma múltiple (100%, 92,5% y 60%; respectivamente) y en el grupo de neoplasias sólidas fueron los cánceres de origen: gastrointestinal, ginecológico, y urológico (62%, 52,1% y 45%; respectivamente). Recibieron transfusiones 204 pacientes (26,4%). En 762 pacientes se encontró una diferencia en la sobrevida global entre los grupos sin y con presencia de anemia, estimándose a los cinco años en 62% y 47% respectivamente (p<0,001), además se encontraron diferencias en la sobrevida global para el subgrupo de tumores sólidos (p=0,002) y neoplasias hematológicas (p=0,007). Conclusiones. La anemia es frecuente en pacientes con cáncer y su presencia determina un factor pronóstico independiente en la sobrevida global.

Objective. To determine the frequency and prognostic value of anemia in cancer patients receiving care at the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas - INEN) between January and April of 2010. Materials and Methods. Anemia was considered for men with hemoglobin levels at <13 g/dL; and for women, at <12 g/dL. Associations between qualitative features were assessed with a Chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier estimator was used for the analysis of the survival curves, and differences between the curves were performed with the log-rank test. Results. 772 patients were included; 584 (75.7%) had solid tumors and 188 (24.3%) had hematologic malignancies. Anemia was diagnosed in 359 patients (46.5%); hematologic malignancies in 127 patients (67.6%); and solid neoplasms in 235 (40.2%). Hematologic malignancies with the highest frequency of anemia were chronic myeloid leukemia, acute leukemias, and multiple myeloma (100%, 92.5% and 60%, respectively); and were cancer of gastrointestinal, gynecological, and urological origin were in the group of solid neoplasms (62%, 52.1% and 45%, respectively). Two hundred and four (204) patients (26.4%) were transfused. In 762 patients, a significant difference in overall survival was found between groups with and without anemia, estimated at 5 years in 62% and 47% respectively (p <0.001). In the solid tumor subgroup (p = 0.002), and the hematological malignancies subgroup (p = 0.007), such association was also found. Conclusions. Anemia is common in cancer patients, and its presence determines an independent prognostic factor in overall survival.