does colon cancer cause low hemoglobin
Can liver cancer cause low hemoglobin
September 15, 2022How high does your red blood count have to be hospitalized?
September 17, 2022Does colon cancer cause low hemoglobin?
Yes; as mentioned before, colon cancer causes bleeding. When you bleed a lot, lose red blood cells faster than your body makes them, which leads to anemia and decreased hemoglobin levels (4).
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin (Hb), is a protein found predominantly in red blood cells and also in small amounts in blood plasma. The function of Hb is the transportation of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and that of carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs (1).
To ensure adequate tissue oxygenation, a sufficient hemoglobin level must be maintained. The normal ranges vary from person to person, but in general, are:
· Men 14.0 to 17.5 g/dl
· Women 12.3 to 15.3
· 6 months to <2 years 11.0 to 13.5
· 2-6 years 11.0 to 13.7
· 6-12 years 11.2 to 14.5
· 12 to <18 years:
o Female 11.4 to 14.7
Anemia
Anemia, which is caused by lower than normal levels of hemoglobin, is the most common hematologic abnormality in patients with cancer. It can be the result of cancer itself or as a common side effect of its treatments.
Types of cancer most often associated with low hemoglobin include:
- Blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma affect your bone marrow, where all your blood cells come from. So these conditions disrupt your body’s process of making red blood cells, resulting in low hemoglobin.
· Gastrointestinal cancers, like stomach or colon cancer: Bleeding in these conditions can cause anemia.
· kidney cancer: Your kidneys make a hormone that triggers the bone marrow to make RBCs. Therefore, in kidney cancer, or a cancer treatment affecting your kidneys, the bone marrow doesn’t get the signal to make red blood cells.
Note that almost all cancers can spread from where they started to other parts like the bone marrow; which then affects the number of blood cells your bone marrow makes (4).
*If your question is ” does colon cancer cause low hemoglobin ” You can enter your CBC test results online and get a personalized interpretation, including your condition in each test, definition, reasons for increased or decreased results, dietary and lifestyle recommendations, potential treatments, drug interactions, etc.
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