Purpose: The aim of the LIDOanemia surveys was to assess how anemia in cancer patients is managed by oncologists and hematologists according to the key messages of the EORTC guidelines.
Methods: LIDO 1 and LIDO 2 (Leaning upon International Directives for Optimization: Anemia) were declarative web-based surveys conducted in France. LIDO 1 specifically focused on clinical features triggering the decision to treat anemia, biological indicators of anemia, the hemoglobin (Hb) threshold for initiating treatment and blood transfusion, and the Hb treatment target. In LIDO 2, participants were presented the main messages of the EORTC guidelines and were asked four questions to assess the impact of the guideline's broadcast on their practice.
Results: A total of 133 and 319 physicians took part in the LIDO 1 and 2 surveys, respectively. The majority were oncologists (65 and 61 %, respectively). Responses from LIDO 1 showed practice habits that differed from those recommended in the EORTC guidelines. However, LIDO 2 showed that an average of 18 % of the participating physicians were willing to amend their clinical practice after receiving a summary of the EORTC recommendations for anemia management.
Conclusion: These findings raise the questions of how often and how to most effectively disseminate key guideline messages. With the best interests of patients in mind, the ultimate objective is to improve the understanding of consensus recommendations and to close the gap between them and actual clinical practice.
Keywords: Anemia; Cancer; Clinical practice; EORTC; Guidelines.