Recombinant human erythropoietin therapy for chemotherapy induced anemia in patients with esophageal carcinoma

Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin(rhEPO) therapy for chemotherapy induced anemia in patients with esophageal carcinoma.Methods Fifty-one chemotherapy-induced anemic patients with esophageal carcinoma were divided into two groups: rhEPO treatment group(n=25) subject to subcutaneous injection of rhEPO(150 U/kg),three times a week,while control group(n=26) not subject to rhEPO,only given leucogenum,the dose was 20 mg a time,three times a day.Results From the fourth week after therapy,hemoglobin,hematocrit,erythrocyte of the rhEPO treatment group was signifccantly higher than that before treatment,Hb(102±12) g/L vs(96±10) g/L,HCT((0.32)±(0.05))% vs((0.27)±(0.04))%,RBC((3.27)±(0.34))×10~(12)/L vs((2.86)±(0.19))×10~(12)/L(P(0.05),P(0.01)),and also higher than that of the control(P(0.01)),the overall response rate of the rhEPO treatment group((76.0%)) was significansly higher than that of the control((20.0%))(P(0.01)).Conclusion The effect of rhEPO on anemic patients with esophageal carcinoma on cisplatcn-based combinatlon chemotherapy was definitely positive.