Hoskin, P. J., Robinson, M., Slevin, N., Morgan, D., Harrington, K., & Gaffney, C. (2009). Effect of epoetin alfa on survival and cancer treatment-related anemia and fatigue in patients receiving radical radiotherapy with curative intent for head and neck cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27, 5751–5756.
To evaluate the effect of epoetin alfa on local disease-free survival (DFS) (primary endpoint), overall survival, and cancer treatment-related anemia and fatigue (secondary endpoint).
Patients were randomized to one of the following three groups:
The study was a phase III, randomized, controlled trial.
Hgb increased from baseline with epoetin alfa. Median duration of local DFS (primary endpoint) was not statistically significant (hazard ratio = 1.04). The groups did not differ significantly in terms of DFS, overall survival, tumor outcomes, or cancer-related anemia or fatigue.
The addition of epoetin alfa did not affect survival, tumor outcomes, anemia, or fatigue positively or negatively in the head and neck cancer population.
Epoetin alfa cannot be recommended for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue in the head and neck cancer population.