6. Unexplained Iron Deficiency Anemia
Anemia, defined, is the presence of a red cell count and hemoglobin count on blood exam that is lower than normal. It is one of the more common symptoms of colorectal cancer and is often linked to complications of the disease. While anemia can directly be caused by radiation and chemotherapy used in the treatment of cancer, it can also be due to a variety of factors. Depending on the type, anemia can paint a picture as to whether or not a patient may or may not have colon cancer.
The type of anemia most commonly linked to cancer is Iron Deficiency Anemia, which can sometimes be overlooked by doctors. Almost 1 in 7 people all over the world has some form of iron deficiency anemia, making it very widespread. It can come as a natural result of menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding, or it can also arise from serious underlying disease such as colon cancer. Studies show that almost ⅓ of people diagnosed with cancer will have low hemoglobin or low red cell count at the time of diagnosis, while ⅔ of cancer patients say that their anemia began during treatment.
Should your blood test show signs of anemia, do not hesitate to ask your doctor if he thinks there is a need to dig deeper into what is causing it.
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