Patients who have no medical contraindications (e.g., paraspinal extramedullary hematopoiesis, hypertension, or poorly controlled congestive heart failure) may continue therapy. Patients receive arginine butyrate IV over 6-14 hours on days 1-4 of weeks 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39 and epoetin alfa intramuscularly (IM) or subcutaneously (SC) three times weekly on weeks 27-40.