Return To The Previous Page
Buy a Package
Number Of Visible Items Remaining : -26 Item

Patient counseling regarding the risks and benefits of therapy with an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) for anemia associated with chemotherapy

Patient counseling regarding the risks and benefits of therapy with an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) for anemia associated with chemotherapy
The following issues should be discussed with patients regarding the risks and benefits of therapy with an ESA for symptomatic anemia in patients receiving chemotherapy for malignant disease:
  1. When used, the goal of ESA therapy for a patient with chemotherapy-induced anemia is to reduce RBC transfusion requirements.
  2. The FDA has indicated that an ESA should not be given to patients who are being treated for cancer when the goal is cure of the cancer.
  3. ESAs have been found to shorten overall survival and/or speed tumor growth in some patients with cancer.
  4. ESAs have risks of adverse events, such as thromboembolism (ie, blood clots), so individual risk factors need to be considered.
  5. ESAs are not recommended for patients with cancer who are not receiving chemotherapy, except in the case of patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndrome.
FDA: US Food and Drug Administration; RBC: red blood cell.
Reproduced with permission from: Bohlius J, Bohlke K, Castelli R, et al. Management of cancer-associated anemia with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents: ASCO/ASH clinical practice guideline update. J Clin Oncol 2019; 37(15):1336-1351. Copyright © 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology. ascopubs.org/journal/jco.
Graphic 55973 Version 8.0