Anaemia in cancer patients: Advances and challenges in the era of precision oncology

Anaemia in cancer patients is an independent prognostic factor associated with reduced survival and increased morbidity. Aetiology of anaemia in cancer patients is multifactorial, involving complex interactions between the cancer itself, treatment modalities, and patient-specific factors. Although anaemia is traditionally associated with cytotoxic chemotherapy, newer drugs can still cause haemoglobin reduction by blood loss, erythrocytes impaired production and increased destruction or reduced survival. A view on the different impact of newer drugs will be presented in our review. Data on the impact of anaemia on quality of life, according to several scales specifically designed for cancer-associated anaemia, will also be reported. Finally, we report on recent guidelines and advances in anaemia management: oral and intravenous iron supplementation, red blood cells transfusions and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.