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Transfusion requirements, risks, and costs for patients with malignancy
1Office of the Mary Weinfeld Professor of Clinical Investigation in Hemophilia, Blood Bank, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Transfusion
|May 1, 1995
Summary
Cancer patients with anemia face transfusion risks. Erythropoietin offers an alternative, necessitating a careful risk-benefit assessment for managing cancer-related anemia.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Hematology
- Transfusion Medicine
Background:
- Cancer patients frequently experience anemia, historically managed with blood transfusions.
- While transfusions are safer, they still pose risks.
- Erythropoietin (EPO) availability necessitates re-evaluating transfusion use in cancer care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety and outcomes of red blood cell transfusions in cancer patients.
- To identify transfusion-related aberrations and reactions.
- To inform the risk-benefit analysis of EPO versus transfusion.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 219 cancer patients receiving outpatient transfusions over 12 months.
- Identification of transfusion aberrations, including unusual monitoring or reactions.
- Calculation of transfusion-related patient charges.
Main Results:
- 812 units of red blood cells were transfused across 483 episodes in 219 patients (mean 3.71 units/patient).
- 100 transfusion aberrations were recorded.
- 10% of patients had positive antibody screens, and 8.7% experienced transfusion reactions.
Conclusions:
- Transfusions in cancer patients can lead to significant aberrations and reactions.
- Hematologists and oncologists must carefully weigh the risks and benefits of both transfusion and erythropoietin.
- This study highlights the need for individualized treatment strategies for anemia in cancer.