The Prevalence Of Anaemia In Cancer Patients Who Have Not Received Therapy

• ORIGINAL ARTICLE | ISSUE DETAILS: VOL NO.4 | ISSUE NO. 1

Abstract

Objective: to assess the incidence of anaemia in cancer patients who have not received therapy.

Methodology: We conducted a single-centre cross-sectional descriptive study at the Medical Oncology Unit of Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan for six months. In total 100 treatment-naive cancer patients were assessed for diagnosis, tumour type, and the presence, severity, and grading of anaemia (defined as plasma haemoglobin levels of <12 gm/dl for women and <14 gm/dl for men).

Results: Among the 100 treatment-naive cancer patients included in the study, there were 51 (51%) males and 49 (49%) females. The average age of the participants was 36.21 years ± 17.93, ranging from 2 to 82 years. Haematological malignancies were diagnosed in 52 patients, with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia being the most prevalent subtype, observed in 27 patients (26.9%). Additionally, 48 patients presented with solid tumours, with colorectal cancer representing 9.3% of cases. Of the analysed patients, 76.2% were found to have anaemia. Among these, the majority (77.5%) exhibited mild to moderate anaemia (Hemoglobin: 8-12 g/dl). Significant associations were observed between female gender (p=0.003) and haematological cancers (p<0.001) with anaemia severity. However, age groups did not demonstrate significant associations with anaemia severity. Further analysis revealed a strong correlation between gender and anaemia severity (p<0.001), with men showing a higher prevalence of grade 1 anaemia compared to women. Haematological malignancies exhibited a higher frequency of anaemia compared to solid tumours (p<0.001). Notably, haemoglobin levels were significantly lower in patients with haematological malignancies compared to those with solid tumours (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Collectively, we report that anaemia is a frequent finding in treatment-naive cancer patients. Female gender and haematological malignancies are significant risk factors for anaemia.