Pre-treatment haemoglobin concentration is a prognostic factor in patients with early-stage breast cancer

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Kandemir E., Mayadagli A., Turken O., Yaylaci M., Ozturk A.

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RESEARCH, vol.33, no.3, pp.319-328, 2005 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 33 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2005
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/147323000503300307
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.319-328
  • Keywords: breast cancer, anaemia, haemoglobin, concentration, prognostic factors, ADVANCED HEAD, UP-REGULATION, HYPOXIA, ANEMIA, CARCINOMA, ASSOCIATION, CELLS, CHEMOTHERAPY, OXYGENATION, INSTABILITY
  • Bezmialem Vakıf University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin concentration < 12 g/dl) in 336 women with early-stage breast cancer and its association with other known prognostic factors. The median follow-up period was 60.5 months (range 9 123 months). Seventy-nine women (23.5%) had a low pre-treatment haemoglobin concentration, but anaemia was not correlated with age, tumour size, nodal status, histological grade or hormone receptor status. Univariate analysis revealed that disease-free survival and overall survival were shorter in patients with anaemia at the time of diagnosis than in patients with normal haemoglobin concentrations. Anaemia remained a significant prognostic factor for disease-free survival and overall survival in the multivariate analysis (relative risk, 1.884 and 1.785, respectively). These results suggest that pre-treatment haemoglobin concentration is an independent prognostic factor in patients with early-stage breast cancer.