Risk Model Predictive of Severe Anemia Requiring RBC Transfusion After Chemotherapy in Pediatric Solid Tumor Patients

Purpose: Severe anemias requiring RBC transfusions is a frequent complication of chemotherapy. A model elaborated by Ray-Coquard et al in adults pointed to three independent risk factors for RBC transfusion: performance status (PS) more than 1, hemoglobin less than 12 g/dL, and prechemotherapy absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) ≤ 700/μL. This model is tested on a pediatric population. Patients and Methods: One hundred nineteen children with solid tumors consecutively admitted for conventional chemotherapy throughout 1 year were included. The study end point was the RBC-transfusion risk in the month following chemotherapy. Only one course was considered for each patient. Age, sex, number of courses, platinum-containing regimens, PS, and hemoglobin and lymphocyte count at day 1 were tested in univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Thirty-one (26%) of 119 children required RBC transfusion within 31 days of chemotherapy. Three factors correlated to transfusion risk in the univariate analysis: PS more tha...