Erythrokinetics and androgens in bone marrow cancer.

Erythrokinetic studies were conducted in 60 patients with chronic anemia due to bone marrow involvement by cancer and other diseases. Fifty-seven percent had evidence of ineffective erythropoiesis contributing to the severity of their anemia. Enhanced bone marrow activity in the extremities was detected in 14% of patients. Maximal doses of several oral androgens were given to 31 patients for at least 3 months. Only 26% of the patients increased their red cell mass by at least 20%. All who benefitted had a minimum level of effective erythropoiesis and showed a decline in serum iron concentration at least 30 mug/100 ml after 1 month of treatment. Erythropoietin values were not helpful in identifying responding patients. These findings indicated the value of erythrokinetic studies in defining the bone marrow capacity of patients with cancer who are considered for androgen treatment trials.