Epoetin Beta in the management of chemotherapy-induced anaemia in adults

Abstract

Anaemia is a common and distressing side effect of chemotherapy. This dissertation evaluates the effectiveness of Epoetin Beta in increasing haemoglobin levels in adults with chemotherapy-induced anaemia. Consequently, this evidence-based dissertation explored the question; “Is Epoetin Beta effective to increase haemoglobin levels in adults with chemotherapy-induced anaemia?”, where the PICO elements were; P- Adults 18 years and over with chemotherapy-induced anaemia, I- Epoetin Beta, C- Alternative interventions (blood transfusion, or placebo, or no intervention), O- Increase in the haemoglobin levels. The articles chosen investigated the effectiveness of Epoetin Beta in adults (18 years and over) with chemotherapy-induced anaemia. Other inclusion criteria comprised post-2006 peer-reviewed articles in the English language, based on humans. Research designs had to be systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis, meta-analysis, or randomised controlled trials. Studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria formed part of the exclusion criteria and were thus discarded. The search activity yielded one meta-analysis and six randomised controlled trials. The identified studies were appraised according to their study design using the Critical Appraisal Skill Program. The outcomes considered were the effectiveness of Epoetin Beta in increasing haemoglobin levels tackled as primary outcome, and blood transfusion requirement, tackled as secondary outcome. In all of the findings, Epoetin Beta was found to be effective in increasing haemoglobin levels in adults with chemotherapy-induced anaemia. Moreover, Epoetin Beta was found to reduce blood transfusion requirement and to be more effective than blood transfusion and placebo in increasing haemoglobin levels. These findings require cautious interpretation due to the limitations of some of the studies such as small sample sizes. Further research on the subject under study is recommended, which could focus on safety, determining the optimal dose of Epoetin Beta, and on effectiveness such as whether the effectiveness of Epoetin Beta is affected by the chemotherapy type.