Estimating prevalence of functional iron deficiency anaemia in advanced cancer

Abstract

Purpose: Anaemia is a common complication of cancer causing symptoms including fatigue. It is also associated with shorter survival. Cancer causes systemic inflammation which interrupts iron metabolism leading to a functional iron deficiency (FID). There are few data on prevalence or aetiology of anaemia in those with advanced cancer. We aimed to establish the prevalence of anaemia and estimate extent of FID anaemia in patients with advanced cancer. Methods: All patients with advanced cancer referred to two UK specialist palliative care services over 1 year were identified. Demographic and clinical data were linked with routinely collected haematological and biochemical profiles. We assessed..