Swiss medical weekly
-
Anemia of cancer patients is multifactorial but often resembles anemia of chronic inflammatory disorders. We investigated the possibility of measurably increased parameters of inflammation in the serum of cancer patients and examined the correlation of hemoglobin levels, serum iron, and markers of inflammatory response in 201 cancer patients. ⋯ No significant correlations were seen between hemoglobin levels and neopterin or s-IL-2R. The correlation between hemoglobin levels in cancer patients and elevated markers of inflammatory responses, such as CRP, suggest that cytokines involved in the inflammatory responses may be at least partially responsible, directly or indirectly, for anemia in cancer patients.