Treatment Patterns for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Chinese Population: A Multi-center Retrospective Study
Author(s)
Boyang Li, Master, Ke Zhang, Master, Xiaoning He, PhD, Jing Wu, PhD.
Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
OBJECTIVES: Chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA) is a common adverse effect in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy that significantly affects treatment outcomes and quality of life. This study investigates the treatment patterns of CIA in the Chinese population using real-world data from tertiary hospitals.
METHODS: A multi-center database based on three tertiary hospitals in Beijing, Wuhan and Nanning, China was used. Patients diagnosed with lymphoma, breast, lung, colorectal, gastric, ovarian, cervical, or endometrial cancer between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022 who developed CIA (hemoglobin (Hb)<120g/L for men, Hb<110g/L for women) were identified. Patients were followed for one year from initial chemotherapy between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. We assessed the proportions of patients receiving red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), iron products, Chinese patent medicine (CPM), or untreated, and compared treatment patterns and costs by anemia severity using descriptive statistical analysis.
RESULTS: Among 1,523 patients (mean age 57.4±11.3 years, 68.4% female), 97.4% had mild anemia (90g/L≤Hb<normal), and 2.6% had moderate anemia (60g/L≤Hb<90g/L). A total of 57.5% CIA patients did not receive anemia treatment. CPM was the most common treatment (32.2%), followed by iron products (14.1%), RBC transfusions (7.1%), and ESAs (4.9%). Mild anemia patients had higher rates of no treatment (58.2% vs. 30.0%) and CPM use (32.37% vs. 25.0%) than moderate cases, while RBC transfusions (6.1% vs. 42.5%), ESAs (4.7% vs. 12.5%), and iron products (13.3% vs. 42.5%) was higher in moderate CIA patients. Per capita annual cost for anemia treatment was CNY 894.1 in mild and CNY 2315.3 in moderate, mainly from with CPM (63.6%, CNY 568.4) and RBC transfusions (60.0%, CNY 1387.9), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of CIA patients in China remain untreated, indicating a significant management gap. Treatment patterns varied by anemia severity. CPM is the most frequently used and costliest therapy.
METHODS: A multi-center database based on three tertiary hospitals in Beijing, Wuhan and Nanning, China was used. Patients diagnosed with lymphoma, breast, lung, colorectal, gastric, ovarian, cervical, or endometrial cancer between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022 who developed CIA (hemoglobin (Hb)<120g/L for men, Hb<110g/L for women) were identified. Patients were followed for one year from initial chemotherapy between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. We assessed the proportions of patients receiving red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), iron products, Chinese patent medicine (CPM), or untreated, and compared treatment patterns and costs by anemia severity using descriptive statistical analysis.
RESULTS: Among 1,523 patients (mean age 57.4±11.3 years, 68.4% female), 97.4% had mild anemia (90g/L≤Hb<normal), and 2.6% had moderate anemia (60g/L≤Hb<90g/L). A total of 57.5% CIA patients did not receive anemia treatment. CPM was the most common treatment (32.2%), followed by iron products (14.1%), RBC transfusions (7.1%), and ESAs (4.9%). Mild anemia patients had higher rates of no treatment (58.2% vs. 30.0%) and CPM use (32.37% vs. 25.0%) than moderate cases, while RBC transfusions (6.1% vs. 42.5%), ESAs (4.7% vs. 12.5%), and iron products (13.3% vs. 42.5%) was higher in moderate CIA patients. Per capita annual cost for anemia treatment was CNY 894.1 in mild and CNY 2315.3 in moderate, mainly from with CPM (63.6%, CNY 568.4) and RBC transfusions (60.0%, CNY 1387.9), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of CIA patients in China remain untreated, indicating a significant management gap. Treatment patterns varied by anemia severity. CPM is the most frequently used and costliest therapy.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-09, ISPOR Real-World Evidence Summit 2025, Tokyo, Japan
Value in Health Regional, Volume 49S (September 2025)
Code
RWD62
Topic Subcategory
Health & Insurance Records Systems
Disease
SDC: Oncology