Epoetin Alfa in Treating Anemia in Patients With Solid Tumors

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of a nonmyeloid cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer)
• Anemia secondary to cancer or cancer treatment\*
• * Hemoglobin less than 12 g/dL (males)
• * Hemoglobin less than 11 g/dL (females) NOTE: \*Active anticancer therapy is not required for study enrollment
• Anemia must not be secondary to any of the following:
• * B\_12, folic acid, or iron deficiency
• * Ferritin must be normal or elevated
• * Gastrointestinal bleeding or hemolysis
• * Primary or chemotherapy-induced myelodysplastic syndromes
• No untreated CNS metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 6 months
• Cardiovascular
• No history of uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmias
• No history of deep venous thrombosis within the past year (unless on anticoagulation)
• No uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure at least 180 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure at least 100 mm Hg) within the past year (unless on anticoagulation)
• Pulmonary
• No history of pulmonary embolism within the past year (unless on anticoagulation)
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study participation
• No known hypersensitivity to epoetin alfa, mammalian cell-derived products, or human albumin
• No new onset of seizures within the past 3 months
• No poorly controlled seizures
• Able and willing to complete quality of life forms
• Alert and mentally competent to give informed consent
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• More than 6 months since prior epoetin alfa
• More than 6 months since any prior investigational forms of epoetin alfa (e.g., gene-activated epoetin alfa or novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein)
• No concurrent peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
• No concurrent bone marrow transplantation
• Surgery
• More than 14 days since prior major surgery
• Other
• More than 2 weeks since prior red blood cell transfusions