2013/11/08 by Yves Béguin, Matti Aapro, H Ludwig +2 · 1 citation
Medicine · #Iron Metabolism and Disorders #Hemoglobinopathies and Related Disorders #Erythropoietin and Anemia Treatment
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2013.10.008
openalex publication_date 2013/11/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
The efficacy and tolerability of intravenous (i.v.) iron in managing cancer-related anemia and iron deficiency has been clinically evaluated and reviewed recently. However, long-term data in cancer patients are not available; yet, long-term i.v. iron treatment in hemodialysis patients is not associated with increased cancer risk. This review summarizes epidemiological and nonclinical data on the role of iron in carcinogenesis. In humans, epidemiological data suggest correlations between certain cancers and increased iron exposure or iron overload. Nonclinical models that investigated whether iron can enhance carcinogenesis provide only limited evidence relevant for cancer patients since they were typically based on high iron doses as well as injection routes and iron formulations which are not used in the clinical setting. Nevertheless, in the absence of long-term outcome data from prospectively defined trials in i.v. iron-treated cancer patients, iron supplementation should be limited to periods of concomitant anti-tumor treatment.