Anemia
Cancer
- Anemia
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Anemia is a condition in which the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells to carry the required amount of oxygen to the body’s tissues and organs. Anemia leads to the patient feeling weak and tired. It is important to understand that anemia and cancer can often be linked, as cancer treatment can sometimes cause or exacerbate anemia.
At King’s Cancer Care Centre, we focus on diagnosing and providing effective treatment of anemia to support our patients’ health during their cancer journey.
The role of the red blood cells is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body’s organs and tissues and transport carbon dioxide from the body’s organs and tissues to the lungs to be exhaled. They contain hemoglobin, which is an iron-rich protein that gives the red cells their color and helps with the transportation of oxygen.
The majority of the blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, and to produce the red cells and hemoglobin, the body needs vitamin B-12, iron, folate, and other nutrients.
The levels of healthy red blood cells can be low due to a number of reasons, such as:
- Lack of enough hemoglobin in the body
- The produced hemoglobin does not work correctly
- The red blood cells are broken down too quickly
- The body fails to make enough red blood cells
Causes of Anemia
Causes of anemia depend on the type of anemia a patient has, but the major cause is lack of enough red blood cells in the body. The causes can be divided into two: factors that decrease red blood cell production and factors that increase red blood cells destruction.
Factors that decrease red blood cell production include:
- Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin B-12, iron, or folate
- Hypothyroidism
- Inadequate stimulation of the production of red blood cells by the erythropoietin hormone, which is produced in the kidneys
Hemorrhaging is the major factor that causes the increase of red blood cells destruction and it can be due to:
- Genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, or glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
- Endometriosis
- Childbirth
- Menstruation
- Trauma
- Surgery
- Excessive uterine bleeding
- Cirrhosis
- Gastrointestinal lesions
- Fibrosis within the bone marrow
- Hemolysis
- Disorders of the spleen and liver
Types of Anemia
Aplastic Anemia
This condition occurs when the immune system attacks the stem cells in the bone marrow, which is where the red and white cells together with the platelets are produced. The stem cells produce the blood cells. This results in the bone marrow containing a few red cells – hypoplastic – or empty – aplastic.
Other factors that can cause injury to the bone marrow and slow down blood cell production include viral infection, use of certain drugs, exposure to toxic chemicals, autoimmune disorders, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, pregnancy, and other unknown factors. Treatment of anemia depends on the type and cause, and may require a blood transfusion or a bone marrow transplant.
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia belongs to a group of conditions known as sickle cell disease. It is a genetic red blood cell disorder that is caused by a gene mutation in the body. The mutated gene causes abnormal hemoglobin, which leads the red blood cells to be rigid, sticky, and misshapen.Â
These abnormal cells can get stuck in the small blood vessels, slowing or blocking the blood flow, therefore preventing oxygen from reaching the body’s tissues and organs. At King’s Cancer Care Centre, Cancer hospital Dubai, we provide specialized care for patients suffering from sickle cell anemia as part of our comprehensive treatment of anemia services.
Iron Deficiency Anemia
This type of anemia is caused by insufficient iron in the body, leading to less production of hemoglobin. This results in less oxygen being carried to the body tissues and organs.Â
Factors that can lead to iron deficiency anemia include lack of iron in the diet, blood loss, pregnancy, and inability to absorb iron. The treatment of anemia in these cases often involves iron supplementation, dietary changes, and sometimes intravenous iron.
Thalassemia
This type of anemia is a genetic disorder that causes the body to have less hemoglobin than normal. It is caused by DNA mutations of cells that produce hemoglobin, leading to less oxygen being carried around the body.Â
Treatment of anemia for thalassemia may require regular blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy to manage iron overload.
Vitamin Deficiency Anemia
Vitamin deficiency anemia occurs due to lack of healthy red blood cells resulting from inadequate amounts of certain vitamins, including vitamin B-12, vitamin C, and folate.Â
It is caused by not eating enough foods containing these vitamins or if the body has trouble absorbing or processing them. The treatment of anemia in these cases often involves vitamin supplements and dietary adjustments.