Assessing anaemia and fatigue: Putting theory into practice

Abstract

Anaemia, a frequent complication in patients with cancer, has a major impact on quality of life (QoL). Fatigue is the most debilitating symptom of anaemia, and surveys suggest that 30% of patients with cancer experience fatigue on a daily basis. Patients report that fatigue affects their daily life to a greater extent than nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, hair loss, depression and pain. Few patients, however, receive treatment or advice about fatigue, and this may reflect an underestimation of the importance of this complication among health professionals. This is despite the availability of a wealth of data confirming that erythropoietic protein therapies can improve the QoL of anaemic patients with cancer, reducing fatigue and improving energy levels. There is a need to improve anaemia management in patients with cancer and this requires a programme of education to promote greater physician awareness of the value of treating anaemia. This article introduces a series of papers based on presentations made at a 2-day meeting entitled Illuminating the World of Anaemia in Cancer-A Global Challenge held in Prague, Czech Republic in May 2006. The following papers discuss the challenges and potential solutions to effective epoetin treatment In patients with cancer, along with prospective novel roles for epoetin. © 2006 Librapharm Limited.