Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 3 , Pages 119-122, March 2008

The Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia and Its Clinical Implications in Patients with Colorectal Carcinoma

  • Chao-Hung Ho

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Sultan Qaboos University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Muscat, Oman
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Chao-Hung Ho, Department of Hematology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 35, Postal Code 123, Muscat, Oman
    • ,
  • Yuan-Bin Yu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Ping-Hao Wu

      Affiliations

    • National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Received 3 August 2007; accepted 5 February 2008.

Article Outline

Background

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract malignancy is an important cause of chronic iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of IDA and its clinical implications in colorectal cancer patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of 101 patients who were admitted to Taipei Veterans General Hospital with proven colorectal carcinoma from 2003−2005. We reviewed the discharge charts and recorded the following data: gender, age, tumor size, tumor site, tumor stage, clinical symptoms, complete blood counts, serum iron (SI), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), serum ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The patients were divided into 2 groups: 1 with and the other without anemia. Different variables of the 2 groups were compared and analyzed to find out the risk factors of anemia in patients with colorectal cancer.

Results

A total of 101 patients, with a mean age of 65.3 years, were enrolled; 56 were male. Their mean hemoglobin was 11.8 g/dL. Fifty-one patients (51%) were found to have anemia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female gender, tumor in the right colon (cecum, ascending colon, hepatic flexure), and maximum tumor diameter ≥ 3 cm were risk factors of anemia in patients with colon carcinoma. Serum ferritin had been measured in 25 patients, and low ferritin level (< 40 μg/L) was found in 15 (60%) of them. CEA and LDH were elevated in 45% (43/95) and 46% (43/93) of patients with colorectal cancer, respectively.

Conclusion

Iron deficiency anemia is a common clinical manifestation of patients with colorectal carcinoma, and occurred more frequently in females, patients with right colon tumor and with larger tumor size.

Key Words:  colorectal cancer , iron deficiency anemia , predictive risk factor , serum ferritin

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PII: S1726-4901(08)70002-9

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(08)70002-9

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 3 , Pages 119-122, March 2008

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