Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Feb 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyRandomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial of every-3-week darbepoetin alfa for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anemia.
In the United States, darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) is often used to treat patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia using weekly or every-2-week administration schedules. In Europe, darbepoetin alfa is used either weekly or in every-3-week dosing. The every-3-week schedule can be synchronized with many chemotherapy regimens, resulting in fewer visits and reducing burden to patients, but the safety and efficacy of this regimen have not been clear. ⋯ Patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia can safely and effectively be treated with 500 microg of darbepoetin alfa every 3 weeks.