No abstract

Blood transfusion in the perioperative period has been reported to have a detrimental effect on survival in many types of cancer. Other studies have failed to confirm this. We have examined retrospectively the records of 246 patients with prostatic carcinoma who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary between 1977 and 1982. Bilateral orchiectomy (BLO) was performed in 193 patients. Of these patients, 71 of 246 (29 per cent) received perioperative blood transfusion. After controlling for differences due to a number of variables, transfusion of non-autologous blood was shown to be associated with a significant negative effect on survival. Perioperative transfusion of non-autologous blood should be avoided in patients with malignancy, unless there are clear overriding clinical indications. Prospective trials are needed urgently.

In this single institution study, we demonstrated a significant improvement in hematopoietic parameters and a trend toward decreased transfusion requirements using perioperative epoetin alfa in a head and neck cancer patient population. Further studies may delineate additional benefits in treating qualified patients with epoetin alfa during therapy for head and neck malignancies.

It appears that the PACER elicits similar peak exercise responses compared with a treadmill GXT. The PACER can also be administered for fitness and functional capacity assessments in healthy and clinical populations.