PURPOSE:

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (N93-004) evaluated the effects of epoetin alfa on tumor response to chemotherapy and survival in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Adult patients with hemoglobin < or = 14.5 g/dL starting chemotherapy received epoetin alfa 150 U/kg or placebo subcutaneously 3 times weekly until 3 weeks after completion of chemotherapy. Survival was assessed for 3 years. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with complete or partial response after three chemotherapy cycles.

RESULTS:

The trial was terminated prematurely after 224 of a projected 400 patients were accrued. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Epoetin alfa and placebo patients (n = 109 and n = 115, respectively) had mean baseline hemoglobin of 12.8 g/dL and 13.0 g/dL, respectively. Overall tumor response was similar between the epoetin alfa and placebo groups after three chemotherapy cycles (72% and 67%, respectively; 95% CI of difference, -6% to 18%) and after completion of chemotherapy (60% and 56%, respectively; 95% CI of difference, -9% to 17%). Epoetin alfa and placebo groups had similar median overall survival (10.5 and 10.4 months, respectively) and overall mortality (91.7% and 87.8%, respectively; hazard ratio, 1.172; 95% CI, 0.887 to 1.549; P = .264). Hemoglobin was maintained in the prechemotherapy range in epoetin alfa patients, but decreased substantially in placebo patients. Fewer epoetin alfa patients than placebo patients required transfusion.

CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that in newly diagnosed patients with SCLC epoetin alfa does not affect tumor response to chemotherapy or survival. However, the early trial closure makes these conclusions preliminary.