Abstract
Relevance: Anemia is a common syndrome in cancer patients, and blood transfusion is the most common treatment for anemia. Anemia and blood transfusion are associated with worse clinical outcomes. The efficacy and safety of different blood transfusion strategies are unclear. The purpose was to analyze current blood transfusion strategies in oncology. Results: In most clinical situations, a restrictive strategy showed efficacy and safety. However, low perioperative hemoglobin level is associated with increased mortality and complication rates. Several clinical trials demonstrated the benefits of liberal strategy; it may be due to comorbidities and low compensatory ability. Conclusion: In cancer patients, anemia is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Therefore, modern blood transfusion therapy strategies in oncology follow the restrictive approach, taking into account possible blood transfusion complications. Cancer patients are a complicated patient category and require an individual approach to postoperative anemia treatment.