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Anemia
and Cancer
Anemia is a deficiency in blood hemoglobin levels, or
in red blood cell counts. It occurs in the majority of
patients with cancer and can develop as a result of the
disease process and /or treatment. Platinum based chemotherapy
is particularly myelosuppressive.
Symptoms of anemia include fatigue, weakness, drowsiness,
vertigo, dyspnoea, tachycardia, dizziness, inability to
concentrate and depression, which can diminish quality
of life. In patients with cancer-related anemia, quality
of life is directly correlated with blood hemoglobin levels.
Anemia and Renal Disease
Anemia has long been known to be a consequence of renal
failure, and it occurs because of erythropoietin deficiency.
A retrospective analysis of mainly hemodialysis patients
demonstrated that anemia poses a graded mortality risk
for chronic dialysis patients that appears to be independent
of age or other status. Furthermore, quality of life has
also been reported to be better in patients with higher
hematocrits.  |
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