The treatment of the anemia in chronic renal failure has changed dramatically in recent years. Transfusions will rapidly correct a low blood count but repeated transfusions are associated with some problems, including iron overload, the development of certain antibodies, and the possibility of viral infections.

In anemic patients with chronic renal failure, treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) is now standard practice and has dramatically reduced the need for blood transfusions. The increase in hematocrit seen with patients treated with rhEPO has generally resulted in improvement in an overall sense of well-being.

Treatment of cancer-related anemia is supportive: it reduces symptom severity and improves quality of life but does not prolong life. The standard treatment of cancer-related anemia is transfusion of allogenic red blood cells. However, rhEPO (epoetin alfa; epoetin beta) can reduce or eliminate the need for transfusion in patients with cancer-related anemia.

In addition, rhEPO prevents the occurrence of anemia in many nonanemic patients with cancer who are receiving chemotherapy. In these patients, rhEPO also increases hemoglobin levels and reduces or eliminates the need for transfusion.