Is there a role for intravenous iron therapy in patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection?

Abstract

Evaluation of: Titos-Arcos JC, Soria-Aledo V, Carrillo-Alcaraz A, Ventura-López M, Palacios-Muñoz S, Pellicer-Franco E. Is intravenous iron useful for reducing transfusions in surgically treated colorectal cancer patients? World J. Surg. 36(8), 1893–1897 (2012).

Worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common forms of malignancy and is increasing in incidence in many regions. At diagnosis, approximately 40% of patients with CRC are anemic, a figure that increases over the course of a patient’s treatment due to many factors, including ongoing hemorrhage. Preoperative anemia is therefore associated with increased allogenic red blood cell transfusion (ARBT) rates. In the context of CRC, perioperative ARBT has been linked with adverse postoperative outcomes, including higher morbidity, mortality and cancer recurrence rates. Therefore, strategies to potentially reduce the need for ARBT have been the focus of several recent studies. We critically evaluate a recent paper that explores intravenous iron III sucrose as a treatment option for the management of postoperative anemia in CRC patients. This study is a retrospective, observational case-controlled study that was designed to evaluate whether the use of postoperative intravenous iron reduces the incidence of ARBT following CRC resection.

Keywords::

• allogenic blood transfusion
• anemia
• colorectal cancer
• hepcidin
• intravenous iron

Financial & competing interests disclosure

AG Acheson’s research department has received grant support from Syner-Med and Vifor Pharma. He has received honoraria or travel support for consulting or lecturing from Ethicon Endosurgery, Johnson and Johnson Ltd, Olympus and Vifor Pharma Ltd.

MJ Brookes’s research department has received grant support from Syner-Med and Vifor Pharma. He has received honoraria or travel support for consulting or lecturing from Vifor Pharma Ltd and Merck Sharp. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the ­manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized during the production of this manuscript.