Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management

Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management

Published on: January 19, 2024

Anemia in Placebo Arms of Cancer Studies

Johannes E Wolff¹

¹AbbVie Inc, North Chicago, IL, U.S.A. johannesewolff@gmail.com.

Anticancer Research

|September 3, 2021

Abstract

Background/Aim:

Adverse event (AE) frequencies observed in interventional clinical trials are difficult to interpret when the placebo control is missing.

Materials And Methods:

Systematic literature review of AEs reported from the placebo arms of randomized cancer trials between 2008 and 2021. Imputation of missing values assuming normal distribution of hemoglobin values.

Results:

Anemia grade 1 or higher was reported in 46 of 100 placebo monotherapy cohorts with a mean frequency of 23.4% (SD=27%) of the enrolled patients. The reported frequency depended on the type of cancer; other demographic variables had no significant influence on anemia frequency.

Conclusion:

External controls for anemia in clinical trials should be disease specific.

Keywords:

Meta-analysis adverse events cancer oncology placebo randomized systematic review

More Related Videos

A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition

A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition

Published on: September 20, 2019

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Impact of Novel Iron Chelators on Cancer Cell Metabolism

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Impact of Novel Iron Chelators on Cancer Cell Metabolism

Published on: February 23, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...

Cancer Therapies

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...

Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients

Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients

Bioavailability studies are essential for evaluating a drug's therapeutic efficacy and understanding its absorption patterns under various physiological conditions. Conducting such studies on target patient populations provides more relevant data by simulating real-world disease states. However, practical challenges often necessitate the use of young, healthy adult volunteers as study subjects.Patients may exhibit altered drug absorption patterns due to the effects of the disease itself,...

Cancer

Cancer

Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants

Bone marrow transplant is a potential cure for several diseases, including cancer and specific genetic disorders. Notably, this procedure is applicable for patients suffering from aplastic anemia, certain types of leukemia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, thalassemia, sickle-cell disease, and certain cancers.
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy...

Cancer Prevention

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Neuropsychological late effects in young children with medulloblastoma: A longitudinal analysis after 5 and 15 years from the HIT-SKK-'87/'92 studies.

Neuro-oncology practice·2026

Semi-mechanistic population PK/PD model to aid clinical understanding of myelodysplastic syndromes following treatment with Venetoclax and Azacitidine.

CPT: pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology·2024

Selective MCL-1 inhibitor ABBV-467 is efficacious in tumor models but is associated with cardiac troponin increases in patients.

Communications medicine·2023

Co-clinical Modeling of the Activity of the BET Inhibitor Mivebresib (ABBV-075) in AML.

In vivo (Athens, Greece)·2022

Adverse Events in Placebo Arms of Cancer Trials.

Anticancer research·2022

Diarrhea in Placebo Arms of Cancer Studies.

Cancer diagnosis & prognosis·2022

See all related articles