Abstract
Anaemia in general is known to cause fatigue, impaired physical performance, higher
risk of falls, prolonged duration of hospitalisation, poor mood, and impaired cognitive
function. In patients with cancer, chemotherapy-induced anaemia (CIA) is common, and
has also been shown to affect patients' quality of life (QoL). In elderly patients,
where up to 60% will develop CIA, the negative impact of these factors on QoL is even
more pronounced. This has been recognised by the International Society of Geriatric
Oncology (SIOG) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) who both recommend
that CIA in elderly patients should be treated. However, due to the biological age
and comorbidities of this patient population, careful consideration of potential therapy,
concomitant to chemotherapy, is required. Indeed, as we begin to uncover the specific
needs of this population of patients with cancer, it is also important to understand
whether currently available treatment modalities are still appropriate. In this article,
we explore the current evidence in elderly patients for the use of three of the most
common therapies for the treatment of CIA: red blood cell transfusions, iron supplementation,
and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 14, 2012
Accepted:
February 9,
2012
Received in revised form:
February 1,
2012
Received:
December 6,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
