Clinical benefits of two different dosing schedules of recombinant human erythropoietin in anemic patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

A total of 100 patients with stage III or IV head or neck cancer, a performance status of 0-1, and anemia with hemoglobin (Hb) < 10 g/dL at baseline who where to receive chemotherapy concomitantly or sequentially with radiotherapy were randomized to receive either epoetin beta 10,000 IU thrice weekly (TW) (n = 52) and oral iron starting 10-15 days before the start of treatment or epoetin beta 30,000 IU once weekly (OW) (n = 48) and oral iron before the start of treatment. The mean Hb in patients on the thrice weekly (11.96 g/dL) and once weekly (12.