Anemia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anemia, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, diet, treatment, causes.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome following prolonged gemcitabine therapy: report of four cases from a single institution.

Müller S, Schütt P, Bojko P, Nowrousian MR, Hense J, Seeber S, Moritz T

Department of Internal Medicine (Cancer Research), West German Cancer Center, University of Duisburg-Essen Medical School, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Germany.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has been described following the administration of multiple antineoplastic agents, most notably mitomycin C. More recently, several cases of gemcitabine-induced HUS have been observed with the overall incidence of gemcitabine-induced HUS estimated at 0.015-0.25%. We here report on four patients who developed HUS following gemcitabine therapy at our institution within the last year (incidence 1.4%). All these patients had advanced-stage disease, were heavily pretreated, and received prolonged gemcitabine application, suggesting that in this subgroup of patients HUS may be more frequently encountered than documented so far.

Published 6 January 2005 in Ann Hematol, 84(2): 110-4.
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