Anemia
| Anemia Quick
Reference | Resources & Research News
Anemia is when you have too few red blood cells
(hemoglobin [Hb]) in the bloodstream, resulting in insufficient oxygen to tissues and organs.
Anemia may
cause weakness, dizziness, low energy, and sometimes
shortness of breath.
Anemia can be
caused by the malignancy, and it is also a side effect associated with
many standard treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation.
Unless
treatment-related anemia is assumed, the clinician will first seek
the type and underlying cause:
microcytic
most common (production-based)
(associated most commonly with iron
deficiency, also chronic disease and thallesemia)
macrocytic (production-based)
(associated
with absorption problems, B12 deficiency, folate deficiency).
normocytic
(destruction-based)
(commonly associated with acute blood
loss, chronic disease)
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