Prevalence and outcomes of anemia in cancer: a systematic review of the literature

Anemia is common in patients with cancer. This systematic literature review of reports published in 1966 through February 2003 identified the prevalence of anemia in specific cancers and assessed the impact of anemia on survival and quality of life (QOL). Studies about chemotherapy-induced anemia were excluded. Anemia prevalence varied widely; most studies found that between 30% and 90% of patients with cancer had anemia. Prevalence was affected strongly by the definition of anemia: 7% of patients with Hodgkin disease had anemia when the condition was defined as a hemoglobin level