New guideline from ASH and ASCO recommends caution regarding ESA use in cancer patients

An updated joint guideline by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) advises physicians about the appropriate use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), a class of drugs that stimulate the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells, to treat cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia.

While the guideline cautions that ESAs are associated with shorter survival and increased risk of thromboembolism - blood clots - and tumor progression, it also recognizes their major benefit of reducing the need for red blood cell transfusions, which can potentially cause serious infections and adverse reactions in the immune system.