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Background Intravenous (i.v.) iron can improve anaemia of chronic disease and response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), but data on its use in practice and without ESAs are limited. This study evaluated effectiveness and tolerability of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) in routine treatment of anaemic cancer patients. Patients and methods Of 639 patients enrolled in 68 haematology/oncology practices in Germany, 619 received FCM at the oncologist's discretion, 420 had eligible baseline haemoglobin (Hb) measurements, and 364 at least one follow-up Hb measurement. Data of transfused patients were censored from analysis before transfusion. Results The median total iron dose was 1000 mg per patient (interquartile range 600–1500 mg). The median Hb increase was comparable in patients receiving FCM alone (1.4 g/dl [0.2–2.3 g/dl; N = 233]) or FCM + ESA (1.6 g/dl [0.7–2.4 g/dl; N = 46]). Patients with baseline Hb up to 11.0 g/dl and serum ferritin up to 500 ng/ml benefited from FCM treatment (stable Hb ≥11.0 g/dl). Also patients with ferritin >500 ng/ml but low transferrin saturation benefited from FCM treatment. FCM was well tolerated, 2.3% of patients reported putative drug-related adverse events. Conclusions The substantial Hb increase and stabilisation at 11–12 g/dl in FCM-treated patients suggest a role for i.v. iron alone in anaemia correction in cancer patients.

From January 1985 to June 1991, three hundred adults aged 15 to 60 years with de novo acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) were treated in two clinical studies. Induction chemotherapy consisted of thioguanine, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, vincristine, and prednison (TAD-VP). The protocols AML ′85 (using a dose of 45 mg/m2 daunorubicin) and AML ′89 (intensified by two linked obligatory courses of TAD-VP with an increased dose of 60 mg/m2 daunorubicin) resulted in complete remission rates of 54.2% and 58.3%, respectively. All patients achieving complete remission received three courses of consolidation. Patients below 40 years with a HLA-identical sibling were offered bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Patients without HLA-identical sibling and those who refused transplantation were randomized to maintenance therapy given monthly for two years vs. three courses of intensification without any further antileukemic therapy vs. autologous BMT (ABMT) (age below 40 years).

e19561 Background: Controlled studies showed that intravenous iron can improve hemoglobin (Hb) levels and decrease the need for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and blood transfusions in an...

In 1985 a randomized study was introduced to compare busulfan (Bu; 2.5mg/m2) with dibromomannitol (DBM; 150mg/m2), each being combined with 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP; 30mg/m2) in the initial therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). These dosages were used at the beginning of the therapy daily and reduced gradually until the stable chronic phase (CP) was reached. This means the fixed combination of an alkylating agent with 6-MP was stable and only the number of days of administration was reduced, to just a few per week.

This study was carried out to assess patients with acute leukemia who were not suited for bone marrow transplantation. Therefore age limits were 35-60 years. The TADVP regimen was compared with ADVP (Table 2) because of repeated doubts concerning the efficacy of thioguanine.