Anabolic steroids and blood cell production

In the past anabolic steroids were the first-choice treatment for pancytopenic disorders that were often poorly classified. They are now superseded by other more recently developed methods of treatment--for example bone marrow transplantation and immunosuppression. This contrasts to the authors' experience, and to that of many other haematologists, who have noted anabolic steroid-induced responses in patients who were unsuitable for or unresponsive to the new treatments. Anabolic steroids did not, however, demonstrate an obvious effect in recent controlled trials involving patients with aplastic anaemia. Their use with immunosuppressive treatment is currently under investigation. Although anabolic steroids rarely reverse the course of anaemia in a myelodysplastic syndrome, even a slight haemopoietic improvement is desirable. Children with Fanconi's anaemia may benefit from a reduced transfusion requirement. Uraemic patients may experience significant side effects on standard erythropoietin (epo) treatment. There have been no controlled trials comparing epo versus anabolic steroids or epo versus epo in conjunction with anabolic steroids. Data from uncontrolled studies indicate a better response to anabolic steroids in children and females than in men. In spite of the fact that anabolic steroids have been used for almost 30 years, they should be carefully re-evaluated in scientifically controlled trials to test their efficacy and to compare them with the new treatments. Such trials, however, are impeded by the limited knowledge available with regard to pharmacological parameters and optimal treatment schedules.