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Treatment of anemia with rhEPO in radiation oncology

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Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (rhEPO) in Clinical Oncology

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Abstract

Cancer-related anemia is a complex disease (for review see: Birgegaard et al. 2005; Nowrousian 2007) and is a well-known prognostic factor in patients treated with radiotherapy (for review see: Grau and Overgaard 1998; Caro et al. 2001; Knight et al. 2004; Dunst and Molls 2007). Its impact on local control and survival is mainly explained by the fact that anemia may worsen tumor oxygenation and thereby decreases the radiation sensitivity of a tumor (so-called oxygen effect). Improving tumor tissue oxygenation by avoiding or correcting anemia during radiotherapy is therefore an attractive approach to increase radiation efficacy. Tumor hypoxia, on the other hand, is a complex phenomenom which may be caused by a variety of mechanisms of which anemia is only one.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany

    Prof. Dr. Jürgen Dunst

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  1. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Dunst
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Correspondence to Jürgen Dunst .

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  1. Department of Internal Medicine (Cancer Research), West German Cancer Center, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany

    Mohammad Resa Nowrousian

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Dunst, J. (2008). Treatment of anemia with rhEPO in radiation oncology. In: Nowrousian, M.R. (eds) Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (rhEPO) in Clinical Oncology. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-69459-6_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-69459-6_23

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