Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were warned that certain anti-anemia drugs led to tumor growth and decreased survival, U.S. media reported Friday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday noted that the drugs -- Amgen's Epogen and Aranesp, and Johnson & Johnson's Procrit -- can be dangerous if overused, as they caused tumor growth and shortened survival in patients with advanced breast, head and neck, lymphoid and non-small cell lung cancers.

The FDA said it approved several labeling changes for the drugs, which are commonly referred to as ESAs.

A study shows that the patients receiving a dose appeared to have a hemoglobin level of 12 grams per deciliter or greater, while ESAs should be used to maintain a hemoglobin level between 10 and 12, an upper boundary for safety concerns.

No clinical data is available that would exclude similar risks for patients getting smaller doses, FDA officials stressed.

The drugs are used by about 1 million Americans a year, mostly people with anemia caused by cancer chemotherapy or kidney failure. Combined sales worldwide were nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars last year.

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