Factors Associated with Epoetin Response
INTRODUCTION
Anemia frequently occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in patients with cancer. In those with CKD, anemia is often the result of decreased erythropoietin production by the failing kidneys. Malignancy can lead to anemia because of the myelotoxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, as well as factors associated with the chronic disease process, including alterations in iron metabolism and erythrocyte production.
Epoetin alpha (recombinant human erythropoietin) is an effective therapy for anemia in patients with CKD or cancer. Although ample data support epoetin’s ability to increase hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, some patients do not respond to this agent. Studies have shown that 38% to 80% of patients treated with epoetin have an increase of 2 g/dl or greater in hemoglobin at eight to 12 weeks.
canadian pharmacy online
Given epoetin’s high cost, the variability of response is a concern. For a patient with cancer, an eight-week course of epoetin, administered as 40,000 units once weekly, can cost as much as $5,000. For a patient with CKD, an eight-week course of epoetin, administered as 10,000 units once weekly, can cost as much as $1,200. Therefore, it may be beneficial to predict which patients are likely to respond favorably to epoetin before therapy is initiated.
Several studies have shown that baseline measurements (e.g., ferritin and endogenous erythropoietin levels) as well as early treatment factors (e.g., the degree of two-week and four-week hemoglobin increases) are associated with a response to epoetin.
buy prescription drugs without prescription
The primary purpose of this study was to identify baseline factors that might be associated with a response to epoetin and to review epoetin use at the Fargo Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
