What Causes Cancer-Related Anemia?
Anemia can result from the cancer itself and from treatment. It’s a one-two punch. Cancer in general can cause malfunctioning of your bone marrow, which produces new red blood cells. In addition, some cancers, such as colon cancer, can cause bleeding, which siphons off more red blood cells “There is something called the anemia of chronic disease,” explains Stephen Nimer, M.D., head of the division of hemotologic oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. “Basically this happens when the body is not healthy and the bone marrow stops producing red blood cells.” Treatment can cause anemia in several ways. “Surgery can cause blood loss,” Nimer explains. “If radiation involves the bones, the marrow can be affected. Eighty percent of the chemotherapy drugs we use also suppress red blood cell production.” To add to that, some chemo drugs lower the number of platelets in the bloodstream, thus preventing clotting, which allows more blood to seep out of your veins. 1996
