Conditions such as peptic ulcers, or bowel polyps and/or cancers can lead to iron deficiency and anaemia. This is why iron deficiency is often investigated with procedures such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy.
Iron deficiency can come from excessive loss (by far the more common) or inadequate intake. All cases of iron deficiency anemia should trigger a suspicion of colon cancer, unless there is another known source of blood loss, and even then it should be considered. You definitely should have a colonoscopy.
Anemia can be an early warning sign of colon cancer. It is caused when the tumor starts to bleed, reducing the levels of red blood cells (RBCs) and an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin needed to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues.
We recommend performing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and/or colonoscopy in patients with severe anemia associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and using laboratory findings of hypoalbuminemia, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein in order to rule out gastrointestinal pathologies.
Complete blood count (CBC).
A CBC is used to count the number of blood cells in a sample of blood. For anemia, the test measures the amount of the red blood cells in the blood, called hematocrit, and the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
Symptoms commonly include fatigue, dyspnoea, and headache. Common signs of iron deficiency anaemia include pallor and atrophic glossitis. Less common signs include: tachycardia, nail changes, and angular cheilosis. There may be an absence of signs, even if the person has severe anaemia.
Cancer and Anemia Link
Anemia is often one of the first signs of cancer, especially colon cancer or blood-related cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma. If you have anemia without a known cause (such as heavy menstrual bleeding), your healthcare provider may talk to you about screening for colon cancer or other tests.
In the group of patients in the earlier stages of colon cancer, 29% tested positive for anemia, and 4% had severe anemia.
Bleeding from colon polyps can lead to anemia and a lack of iron.
Colonoscopies can detect conditions like colitis, inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulosis. But mainly, doctors are looking for precancerous or cancerous colon polyps, which are growths on the inside of the colon's lining.
The gastrointestinal tract is one of the most common sites of occult bleeding and can be due to hemorrhoids, polyp, colon cancer or other conditions. 5 Depending on your age and health history, a low hemoglobin test may indicate the need for a colorectal cancer screening test such as a colonoscopy.
What It Means to Have Anemia and Cancer. Iron deficiency anemia “may be the red flag that leads a health care provider to search for cancer,” says Francis, since it's typically caused by blood loss, which often occurs in colon cancer and uterine cancer but is less commonly in bladder cancer.
Previously, anemia has been reported to be more common in CRC patients with tumors in proximal colon and of advanced stage3–6.
Anemia is a common condition of cancer patients. This is because cancers cause inflammation that decrease red blood cell production. In addition, many chemotherapies are myelosuppressive, meaning they slow down the production of new blood cells by the bone marrow.
Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction.
The last stage is iron deficiency anemia. It is characterized by a low hemoglobin concentration with small (microcytic), pale (hypochromic) RBCs. Symptoms include fatigue upon exertion, weakness, headaches, apathy, pallor, poor resistance to cold temperatures, low physical work capacity, and poor immune function.
While anemia and leukemia are very different conditions, they share a core similarity: they both affect the blood. But leukemia is a cancer, which involves unchecked cell growth. In contrast, anemia involves a lack of red blood cells. That said, leukemia does remain a risk factor for anemia.
Severe: Hemoglobin 6.5 to 7.9 g/dL[1] Life-threatening: Hemoglobin less than 6.5 g/dL.
Fatigue. Tiring easily, and waking up tired even after a good night's sleep, are common and potentially serious symptoms of anemia. This is due to reduced and compromised red blood cells that naturally cannot carry the required levels of oxygen to the organs – which, in turn, cannot function efficiently.
Malabsorption is when your body can't absorb iron from food, and is another possible cause of iron deficiency anaemia. This may happen if you have coeliac disease, a common digestive condition where a person has an adverse reaction to gluten, or surgery to remove all or part of your stomach (gastrectomy).
You may also find that low iron causes weight gain. There are a couple of reasons for this; firstly, your energy levels are low and so your exercise levels reduce; secondly, iron is essential for thyroid function, and an underactive thyroid will lead to weight gain.