Epoetin beta treatment to prevent anemia in solid tumor patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy

Abstract

8230 Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether epoetin treatment in solid tumor patients receiving platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy (CT) might prevent anemia and improve patients’ quality of life (QoL). Methods: Patients with solid tumors, receiving Pt-based CT were enrolled in this open-label, single-arm, multicenter study if baseline hemoglobin (Hb) levels were ≤13 g/dl (men) or ≤12 g/dl (women), or fell to these levels after 1 or more CT cycles. Patients received epoetin beta 450 IU/kg/week (∼30 000 IU/week), divided into 3 doses until 4 weeks after the last CT cycle. After 4 weeks, epoetin dose was doubled if Hb decreased by >1 g/dl. Treatment efficacy was measured by response rate (Hb increase of >1 g/dl) and QoL (visual analogue scale). Adverse events were recorded. Results: Of the 270 patients enrolled (255 evaluable), 40% had lung, 13.3% had head and neck, 10.2% had colorectal, 7.8% had ovarian cancer and 28.7% had other tumor types. The majority (98.8%) had a baseline ECOG status of 0–2 (69.8% ECOG status 1). Mean duration of treatment was 74.9 days. 62.4% of patients showed a Hb response, with a further 29.4% maintaining baseline Hb ±1 g/dl. Although patients received Pt-based CT, overall QoL significantly improved in patients with a Hb response (p<0.01) and was maintained in non-responders (p=0.765). Final Hb in responders was significantly increased from baseline (final 12.9 g/dl; p<0.01). Performance status (baseline vs final) was maintained in patients responding to epoetin beta (p=0.162), but significantly deteriorated in non-responders (p<0.01). Epoetin beta was well tolerated. Conclusions: Epoetin beta prevents anemia in the majority of patients with solid tumors receiving Pt-based CT. In addition, improvement in Hb with epoetin beta translated into an improvement in QoL for patients. Author Disclosure Employment or Leadership Consultant or Advisory Role Stock Ownership Honoraria Research Funding Expert Testimony Other Remuneration Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.