2016_Head & Neck COURSE BOOK

Anemia and erythropoietin: Cochrane database

Meta-analysis of five studies with a total of 1397 patients

Radiation therapy versus radiation therapy + EPO

Significantly worse overall survival for RT plus EPO was observed compared to RT alone odds ratio 0.73; (95% CI 0.58 to 0.91); p = 0.005

However, the target hemoglobin concentration was higher than recommended in four of the five trial and may have had a significant role

Lambin P Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009