Safety and Efficacy of Oral Liposomal Iron Supplemented in Cancer Patients with Chemotherapy-Related Anemia Receiving Epoetin Alfa. Final Data

ABSTRACT Background The concomitant use of oral iron as a supplement to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia is controversial. Liposomal iron (LI) is the new oral formulation that avoids patient gastrointestinal discomforts which are usual during iron supplementation. Thanks to the liposome technology, bioavailability of iron increases by 3.5 times compared with the same iron source with non-liposome form. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of supplementation with oral LI to increase hemoglobin (Hb) in anemic cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and epoetin alfa. Methods A total of 72 patients between 38 and 76 years old with chemotherapy-related anemia (Hb Results 72 patients were evaluable for efficacy and safety. The percentage of patients with hematopoietic responses was high (only 4 patients showed no response to therapy). From baseline to study end, a mean increase in HB levels of 2.2 g/dL was noted. The best response was obtained in the group of patients with hemoglobin levels between 9-10 g/dl. None of the patients required red blood cell transfusion and supplemented administration of oral LI was well tolerated in all patients. Improvement in QOL parameters was observed in all patients. Conclusions Our results suggest that for cancer patients with chemotherapy-related anemia receiving supplemented epoetin alfa, daily supplementation of LI is safe and produces a significant increase in Hb anemia with improved QOL. The increase of HB is similar to those observed with the use of IV iron supplementation in several studies. Taking into consideration physicianu0027s convenience and patientu0027s compliance, this regimen offers an optimal alternative to IV iron supplementation. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.