TREATMENT OF ANEMIA IN CHILDREN WITH WILLMS’ TUMOR

Kachorovska-Khat’ B., Baltserska A.

Anemia is a symptom or complication of a tumor disease. Nephroblastoma is the most widely spread solid neoplasm occurring in children. A chemotherapy course was the first step in the treatment of all patients with Willms’ tumor; it was followed by operation and the second course of chemotherapy. Many patients developed anemia at the initial stage of therapy. Anemia can be treated by way of erythrocyte mass transfusion or with the help of human recombinant erythropoietin as a substitutive therapy. The efficacy of the above mentioned approaches was analyzed with respect to a group of 13 children. To this end, hematology parameters and serum levels of transferrin and ferritin were assessed in two groups of children. Group 1 (9 patients) was treated by way of erythrocyte mass transfusion; group 2 (4 patients) received humanrecombinanterythropoietin (150 IU/kg). Human recombinant erythropoietin was found to be more efficient as compared to erythrocyte mass. No side effects were associated with the administration of erythropoietin. It is concluded that application of human erythropoietin in the treatment of children with Willms’ tumor may be a reasonable alternative to hemotransfusion.