The European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS): A large, multinational, prospective survey defining the prevalence, incidence, and treatment of anaemia in cancer patients

Presence of Anemia and Poor Prognostic Factors in Patients with Endometrial Carcinoma

“…Gynecological malignancies are among the tumors characterized by a higher prevalence of anemia at diagnosis. According to the European Cancer Anemia Survey (ECAS), the Australian Cancer Anemia Survey (ACAS), and our 6-month survey; the percentage of patients with gynecologic malignancy who had anemia at enrollment were 49.1%, 65%, and 66%, respectively (Ludwig et al, 2004;Seshadri et al, 2005, Achariyapota et al, 2010. Our data also show a high prevalence of anemia in patients with endometrial cancer before surgery (39%).…”

“…Its prevalence varies widely, ranging from 30% to 90% of patients with cancer, depending on the type of cancer. Gynecological malignancies are among the tumors characterized by a higher prevalence of anemia at diagnosis (Ludwig et al, 2004;Seshadri et al, 2005, Achariyapota et al, 2010. Besides worsening the quality of life, the presence of anemia itself has been found to be a poor prognostic variable and is associated with shorter survival times for several cancers (Caro et al, 2001;Van Belle et al, 2003;Alici et al, 2006).…”

Management of Anemia in Cancer Patients: Transfusions

“…Most commonly, the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions are used to define the cutoff Hb level in women as 12 g/dL and in men as 13 g/dL [1]. When using a cutoff value of Hb of 12 g/dL for both men and women, the prevalence of anemia in cancer is around 40%, as observed in the European Survey on Cancer Anemia (ECAS) in almost 15,000 cancer patients with different stages of disease and treatment [2].…”

“…Correction of anemia can be achieved by different methods, but in an ECAS study, the majority of patients with anemia did not receive any treatment (61.1%); 17.4% were treated with EPOs with or without iron, 14.9% were transfused with RBCs, and 6.5% received iron alone [2]. The start time and type of treatment depended on the severity of the anemia: the median Hb level for starting EPOs was 9.0 -9.9 g/dL, whereas for transfusions it was Ͻ9 g/dL; for starting iron therapy, it was 10 -10.9 g/dL [2].…”

“…The start time and type of treatment depended on the severity of the anemia: the median Hb level for starting EPOs was 9.0 -9.9 g/dL, whereas for transfusions it was Ͻ9 g/dL; for starting iron therapy, it was 10 -10.9 g/dL [2].…”