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Complete blood count indices in colorectal carcinoma
V O Speights1, M W Johnson, P H Stoltenberg
1Department of Anatomic, Scott and White Clinic, Temple, TX 76508.
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
|March 1, 1992
Summary
Complete blood count (CBC) tests, including hemoglobin and red blood cell indices, do not reliably indicate iron deficiency in colorectal carcinoma patients. These standard blood tests lack sensitivity for detecting early-stage colorectal cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Hematology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Colorectal carcinomas are frequently associated with gastrointestinal blood loss.
- Iron deficiency anemia can be a presenting sign of occult gastrointestinal malignancy.
- Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) are considered sensitive indicators of early iron deficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether complete blood count (CBC) parameters suggest iron deficiency in patients with colorectal carcinoma.
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of MCV and RDW, in addition to hemoglobin, for detecting colorectal cancer.
Main Methods:
- A series of 98 consecutive colorectal carcinoma cases were analyzed.
- CBC data, including hemoglobin, MCV, and RDW, were recorded for each patient.
- Results were compared to an age-matched control group without suspicion of malignancy.
Main Results:
- Patients with colorectal carcinoma generally did not exhibit laboratory evidence of iron deficiency based on hemoglobin, MCV, or RDW.
- No significant increase in sensitivity for detecting colorectal carcinoma was observed by combining MCV and RDW with hemoglobin levels.
Conclusions:
- Standard CBC parameters are not sufficiently sensitive for detecting iron deficiency in the context of colorectal carcinoma.
- Relying on CBC indices alone may not aid in the early detection or clinical suspicion of colorectal cancer.