Main description:

Anemia, a frequent complication of cancer and its treatments, produces unwanted symptoms and significantly impairs metabolic and physiologic functions, as well as patients' activity, quality of life and even life expectancy. In its new Second Edition, this book presents current knowledge on anemia in cancer and its treatment with Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (rhEPO). Expanded, updated and newly added chapters describe scientific and clinical aspects of anemia, and give diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations on use of rhEPO. This is an essential source of information for radiotherapists, medical oncologists, hematologists, internists, pediatricians, surgeons, specialists in transfusion and laboratory medicine, and pharmacologists.

Contents:

Physiology of erythropoiesis.- Biology of EPO.- EPO and EPO-receptor expression in tumor cells and their functional role.- Classification and characterization of anemia in cancer.- Pathophysiology of cancer-related and chemotherapy-induced anemia.- Prevalence, incidence, and treatment of anemia in cancer patients.- Prognostic significance of anemia in cancer chemotherapy.- Incidence and impact of anemia in radiation oncology.- Relationship between anemia and tumor hypoxia.- Tumor hypoxia and therapeutic resistance.- Symptomatology of anemia.- Impact of anemia on organ functions.- Relationship of hemoglobin, fatigue, and quality of life in anemic cancer patients.- Red blood cell transfusions, risks and limitations.- Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and safety of rhEPO.- rhEPO in anemia associated with multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.- rhEPO in myeloid disorders.- rhEPO in anemia associated with solid tumors and chemotherapy.- Predictive factors for response of anemia to rhEPO.- rhEPO in hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, transplantation, and in-vitro expansion.- rhEPO in radiation oncology.- rhEPO in pediatric oncology.- rhEPO in surgical oncology.- Erythropoiesis, iron metabolism and iron supplementation during treatment with rhEPO.- Optimal level of hemoglobin in cancer patients.- Metabolic and physiologic effects of rhEPO in anemic cancer patients.- Effects of rhEPO on quality of life in anemic cancer patients.- Effect of rhEPO on survival in anemic cancer patients.- Neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin.- Effects of rhEPO in patients with anemia and chronic heart failure.- Current status and future developments of rhEPO in clinical oncology.