The introduction of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) into clinical practice in the 1980s and the later new modified erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) was a real breakthrough in the treatment of severe anaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Use of ESAs is primarily based on an assumption that failing kidneys produce less erythropoietin which is needed for adequate...

The introduction of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) into clinical practice in the 1980s and the later new modified erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) was a real breakthrough in the treatment of severe anaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Use of ESAs is primarily based on an assumption that failing kidneys produce less erythropoietin which is needed for adequate...

Elliott et al. [1] have shown that erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) protein is low to undetectable in human renal cells and other tissues with no detectable EpoR on cell surfaces. This result was obtained by western blotting with an EpoR-specific monoclonal rabbit antibody (A82) and measurement of the binding of radiolabelled recombinant human Epo ([I]rHuEpo). RHuEpo did not induce intracellular ...

Background: Integrative oncology (IO) seeks to bring non-conventional approaches into conventional oncology care in an evidence-based, coordinated manner. Little is known about the effects of such consultations on patient-reported symptoms. Methods: We reviewed data from patients referred for an IO outpatient consultation between 2009 and 2013, comparing the cohort of patients with at least one...

PURPOSE Although numerous clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and tolerability of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA), results of some recent trials and one meta-analysis have suggested that ESAs may negatively impact survival and/or disease control in patients with cancer. METHODS To assess the benefits and risks of ESAs in C...

Moebus et al. (1) reported that erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) can treat chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA) in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with no effect on overall survival, relapse-free survival, or intramammary relapse. They also conclude that epoetin increased thrombosis. Their treatment protocol did not include adequate iron replacement. Although iron st...

Background: Many symptom assessment tools have been developed to aid evaluation of patient’s symptoms. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale is one such tool. The ESAS was introduced on the inpatient unit in Milford Hospice (a 30 bedded tertiary palliative care unit) in December 2007. However, a 3-month chart review revealed a low completion rate (20%) of the ESAS. Aim: The aim of this study wa...

F or the second time in 3 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the safety of a class of widely used anemia drugs. Earlier this year, the agency added the highest level of warning , a so-called black box, to the label of all three erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). At the request of the agency, the Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) met last week to evaluate the...