Cochrane Collaboration meta-analysis: Erythropoietin or Darbepoetin for patients with cancer - meta-analysis based on individual patient data

The authors of this new meta-analysis concluded that ESA treatment shortens survival. They could not identify with certainty any subgroup of patients at either increased or decreased risk of dying when taking ESAs. With their doctors' help, cancer patients should consider the risks of taking ESA against the risks of a blood transfusion. Be aware, however, that uncertainties remain about the magnitude of each.