The prognostic implications of anaemia in the outcome of patients with early stages of uterine cervix carcinoma

Abstract

We studied the prognostic value of anaemia in the evolution of patients with early stages of uterine cervix cancer and treated with radical surgery. An observational study of 114 patients treated for cervical cancer at the "La Fe" Maternity Hospital in Valencia (Spain) during the period 1971 to 1989. Survival analyses were carried out whereby both recurrence and mortality rates were considered. The level of haemoglobin influences the prognosis of the patients in the study presented, and explains a variation in the disease-free interval in correlation with that of tumour size. However, its influence on the survival interval proved to be somewhat less. Its predictive value is not diminished when associated with other important factors regarding the influence on patient evolution and is seen to be a protector variable against recurrence. Patients with haemoglobin levels of less than 13 gr/dl have a less favourable prognosis and this prognosis worsens still further when levels are lower than 12 gr/dl, which is more frequently the case in patients under 40 years of age and with a greater stromal invasion depth. The influence of haemoglobin levels is equally as important in its influence on prognosis and patient evolution as the volume of the tumour itself. The effect of this variable depends on both the clinical characteristics of the patients and the pathological characteristics of the tumour.

The Impact of Perioperative Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion on Survival in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

“…29 However, receipt of perioperative RBC transfusion in the setting of radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer does not seem to impact recurrence or OS. 30,31 In addition, although erythropoietin seems to increase the risk for thromboembolic events in cervical cancer, 32 its use does not seem to be detrimental to DFS or OS in either cervical 33,34 or ovarian cancer 35 survival.…”

Anemia and Transfusions in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Cancer

“…12 Results from recent studies in patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and non-small-cell lung cancer supported this conclusion by demonstrating that anemia is an independent prognostic factor for decreased locoregional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival. [13][14][15][16][17][18] Reviews of the available evidence have demonstrated a strong relationship between anemia and decreased quality of life in patients with cancer, 19,20 but clinical studies of this association typically have focused on chemotherapy-associated anemia, not anemia in patients with cancer who underwent surgery. Additional study would be needed to determine whether the association between anemia and postoperative morbidity, mortality, and quality of life exists in patients who are undergoing cancer-related surgery.…”

Radiotherapy versus radiochemotherapy with cisplatin in treatment of cervical cancer

“…According to Obermair et al [15], only patients with hemoglobin values [11 g/dl throughout chemoradiation had more than 90% chance of achieving a complete clinical response. Also Martin-Loeches et al [16] indicated that patients with hemoglobin levels of less than 13 g/dl had a less favorable prognosis. Furthermore, they pointed out that hemoglobin levels are equally important in its influence on prognosis and patient evolution as the volume of the tumor itself.…”