{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.0425531914893617, 'fraction_numerical': 0.02297872340425532, 'mean_word_length': 4.6, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 1, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
REDUCTION IN TRANSFUSION REQUIREMENTS WITH EARLY EPOETIN ALFA TREATMENT IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH SOLID TUMORS: A Case-Control Study

In a single-center, case-control study the authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of epoetin alfa in pediatric cancer patients receiving platinum- or nonplatinum-based chemotherapy. Thirty-seven patients with solid tumors received epoetin alfa 3 times weekly at a dose of 150 IU/kg (hemoglobin [Hb] S 12 g/dL and h 16 g/dL) or 300 IU/kg (Hb < 12 g/dL) for 28 weeks. Data from treated patients were compared to data from 37 untreated control patients. Significant between-group differences in favor of the epoetin alfa-treated patients were observed in overall red blood cell transfusion requirements ( p = .007 ) and overall platelet transfusion requirements ( p = .010 ). Additionally, significant between-group differences favoring epoetin alfa were seen by Kaplan-Meierplots, estimating mean time to first red blood cell transfusion ( p = .0004 ). Mean Hb (g/dL) was maintained at baseline levels in the epoetin alfa group for most of the course of the study. No drug-related adverse events were seen in epoetin alfa-treated patients.