What do you know about Procrit-related cancer deaths?!
Question: My mom passed 5 1/2 years ago after battling a brain tumor for 4 years. She was all but stable until her last round of chemo (temadar) and a long transfusion and platelet building process that included Procrit. I have read the black box warnings coming out and am interested if anyone else believes this could have something to do with the death of their loved one. I live in Alabama and the statute of limitations has passed even though the warnings have just come out so I am told there is nothing I can do... I just want to help others now I guess. If you have any thoughts or stories, please share!!!
Answers: My mom passed 5 1/2 years ago after battling a brain tumor for 4 years. She was all but stable until her last round of chemo (temadar) and a long transfusion and platelet building process that included Procrit. I have read the black box warnings coming out and am interested if anyone else believes this could have something to do with the death of their loved one. I live in Alabama and the statute of limitations has passed even though the warnings have just come out so I am told there is nothing I can do... I just want to help others now I guess. If you have any thoughts or stories, please share!!!
It's very unfortunate that we're only getting these data recently. And I understand that this brings back the painful memory of your mom's ordeal with brain cancer.
My two cents on this issue:
Cancer is a hypercoagulable state. About half of patients die from thrombosis, even without giving them epoietin.
To decrease the need for transfusions, epoietin can be given to anemic cancer patients, where anemia is due to the effect of concomitantly administered chemotherapy. I think this was the indication for your mom, so I believe that it was a correct call.
It was made clear by the FDA last year that patients who are NOT receiving chemotherapy NOR radiation therapy should NOT be given epoietin.
Also, it was recently discovered that there's a different target hemoglobin level for each indication, above which complications and mortality rates increase, and therefore, epoietin should no longer be given at these hemoglobin levels.
Medicine is a dynamic science. Through continuous research, we not only find new cures but more importantly ensure the safety of the lives we treat.
http://www.procritlawsuit.com/