Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-7-16
pubmed:abstractText
Patients with breast cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy experience not only fatigue and menopausal symptoms but also documented cognitive dysfunction and reduced capacity to carry out activities of daily living. The role of epoetin alfa in improving cognition and functional capacity was assessed in a large randomized trial through patient self-reported outcomes. Patients with breast cancer (N = 354, adjuvant and metastatic) undergoing chemotherapy were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive epoetin alfa (40,000 IU once weekly) or the standard of care (SOC). Change in patient-reported Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) from baseline to week 12 was compared between the epoetin alfa and SOC groups. In addition, correlations between the disease-nonspecific HUI3 utility scale and the cancer-specific quality of life instrument Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Anemia (FACT-An) and Fatigue subscales were assessed. Epoetin alfa treatment significantly improved HUI3 scores compared with patients receiving SOC (P = 0.036). Three subscales within HUI3 were also significantly better for epoetin alfa-treated patients (emotion, P = 0.048; ambulation, P = 0.048; and cognition, P = 0.02). Moreover, a strong correlation (P = 0.0001) exists between the disease-nonspecific utility scale HUI3 and the disease-specific FACT-An and FACT-Fatigue scales in terms of overall scores and score changes. The findings of the study demonstrate for the first time in patients with breast cancer that epoetin alfa significantly enhances functional well-being, which translates into significantly better utility scores. In addition, epoetin alfa also significantly improved cognitive function of women undergoing chemotherapy, and this could have an important impact on their lives from a societal perspective.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:status
PubMed-not-MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
1543-2912
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
2
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
52-8
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Weekly administration of epoetin alfa improves cognition and quality of life in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.
pubmed:affiliation
R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article