Science Letters

Effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on red blood cells and haemoglobin in cancer patients

Muhammad Younis 1, Muhammad Iqbal 2, Neelma Shoukat 3, Beenish Nawaz 4, Feroza Hamid Wattoo 5, Khawar Ali Shahzad 6*

1 Institute of Life Sciences, Southeast University, Nanjing, China

2 Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

3 Institute of Biochemistry, University of Sindh,Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

4 Sindh Agriculture University, Tando jam, Sindh, Pakistan

5 Institute of Biochemistry & Biotechnology Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

6 Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore

Abstract

Cells are the building blocks of living things. Cancer grows out of normal cells in the body. Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Numerous patient, disease and treatment related factors contribute to the low level of red blood cells (RBCs) and haemoglobin (Hb). Cancer-related anemia described as a cytokine-mediated disorder of erythropoiesis. It reduces the ability of the bone marrow to increase production of red blood cells in response to the loss of red blood cells. The present study was conducted to compare the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the RBCs count and Hb level in different types of cancer patients. A total of 80 blood samples from control and cancer patients were collected and processed for RBCs count and Hb level. Hematological analyzer Medononic 620 was used for RBCs count and Hb level. The instrument was a fully automated hematology analyzer. Medononic 620 was designed to measure up to 20 parameters using whole blood from an open inlet, closed tubes, micro pipettes 20 microliter or pre-diluted blood. Significant difference was found in RBCs count as 4.5+0.4 value was found in normal and 4.1+0.7 was in cancer patients. On other hand, there was also decreased Hb level in cancer patients with 11.0+2.3 value as compared to normal samples where it was 12.6+1.1. It was concluded that cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy can result in decreased RBCs count and Hb level. Low Hb levels can result in immune-compromised body of the cancer patient. Erythropoietin (EPO) can be suggested to the patients during cancer treatment especially in case of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to maintain the RBCs count and Hb levels.

Keywords: Cancer, haemoglobin, erythropoiesis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy.

Received December 02, 2013; Revised February 11, 2014; Accepted February 20, 2014

*Corresponding Author: Khawar Ali Shahzad; Email: khawar7bar@yahoo.com; Phone: 0086-13915994014