Might patients benefit from oral iron therapy following operative treatment of breast carcinoma?

Cutress, R.I., Gupta, R., Parakh, A., Rutter, D., Spencer, L. and Royle, G.T. (2001) Might patients benefit from oral iron therapy following operative treatment of breast carcinoma? European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 27 (7), 621-625. (doi:10.1053/ejso.2001.1205). (PMID:11669588)

Abstract

Aims: To assess the changes in blood haemoglobin concentration and serum iron indices as a consequence of breast operations for cancer in our unit.

Methods: Haematological parameters were measured in 109 patients undergoing definitive operative treatment for breast carcinoma.

Results: A mean fall in haemoglobin of 2.1 g (P=0.001) occurred in patients undergoing mastectomy and axillary clearance and of 1.3 g (P<0.001) in patients undergoing wide local excision and axillary clearance. The transferrin saturation (serum iron/total iron binding capacity) in both sets of patients after surgery fell on average to levels that would be expected to impair subsequent red cell production.

Conclusion: The changes in iron indices that occurred were unrelated to the degree of blood loss consistent with a possible inflammatory effect of the operation. Oral iron therapy is unlikely to be of benefit to operative breast patients if they have normal pre-operative iron stores.

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