Cancer treatment reviews
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Cancer treatment reviews · May 2016
Review Meta AnalysisHow low should we go: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of restrictive red blood cell transfusion strategies in oncology.
Most non-oncologic clinical practice guidelines recommend restrictive allogeneic blood transfusion practices; however, there is a lack of consensus regarding the best transfusion practice in oncology. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to compare the efficacy and safety of restrictive versus liberal transfusion strategies in patients with cancer. ⋯ Restrictive strategy appears to decrease blood utilization without increasing morbidity or mortality in oncology. This review is limited by a paucity of high quality studies on this topic. Better designed studies are warranted.