Usefulness of the Tests for Iron Deficiency in Detection of Gastric Cancer

Jung, Jin Mo; Han, Chul Ju; Hong, Young Joon; Cho, Hyun Ho; Kim, Young Ho; Choi, Dae Hyun; Cho, Sang Hyung; Cho, Kwang Hee; Kim, Jin; Jung, Sook Hyang; Kim, You Choul; Lee, Jhin Oh

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cancers of the gastrointestinal tract might cause chronic occult blood loss leading to iron deficiency. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of the tests for iron deficiency in detection of stomach cancer.
METHODS
Seventy one patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC), 13 patients with early gastric cancer (EGC), and 104 patients with functional GI disorder (FGID) as a control were consecutively enrolled in this study. The test results for iron-deficiency parameters such as hemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin-saturation rates were compared among the groups. Incidence of iron deficiency or anemia was compared among the groups.
RESULTS
The levels of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum iron, and the rates of transferrin saturation were significantly lower in the AGC group than in the control group. These differences were even marked in male patients. They were not significantly different between the EGC group and the control group. In male patients with AGC, the incidence of anemia or iron deficiency was markedly higher than the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
In males over 50 years, tests for iron-deficiency parameters such as hemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum iron, and transferrin saturation might be helpful in detection of AGC. Further study is needed to reveal whether these tests are helpful in the early detection of stomach cancer.