Treating anemia of cancer with every-4-week darbepoetin alfa: final efficacy and safety results from a phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
2008The oncologist
Gordon D, Nichols G, Ben-Jacob A, Tomita D, Lillie T +1 more
Plain English
This study looked at how well a drug called darbepoetin alfa works in treating anemia in cancer patients who are not getting chemotherapy or radiation. Out of the patients treated, 69% on darbepoetin alfa showed improvement in their blood levels compared to only 24% on the placebo. Additionally, 85% of those on darbepoetin alfa reached the desired hemoglobin level, compared to 50% on the placebo, showing that the drug is effective in increasing hemoglobin without adding risk of serious side effects.
Who this helps: This research benefits cancer patients suffering from anemia, especially those not undergoing chemotherapy or radiation.