Significance of serum ferritin in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer

Abstract

AT PRESENT there is no agreement on the significance of serum ferritin in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer. Ferritin levels have been reported to be either normal or increased in both these diseases, while other investigators reported increased ferritin levels in patients with hepatic metastases only [ l-41. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate serum ferritin levels in healthy subjects and in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer and to verify a possible correlation of ferritin levels with the stage and the grade of the disease. Sixty-two subjects operated for gastric cancer and 46 patients operated for colorectal cancer were part of the study. Eighteen healthy members of the medical staff were used as controls. Serum ferritin determination was performed preoperatively by an immonoradiometric assay (Fer-Iron kit, Ramco Laboratories, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.). The results were similar in both neoplasms. Table 1 shows the mean ferritin levels in the control group compared with patients with gastric and colorcctal cancer. The mean values in cancer patients are significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.005). Although the values found in stage IV (UICC) in gastric cancer patients and in stage D (Dukes) in colorectal cancer patients appear to be higher, the difference between the various stages is not significant. Similarly, no significant correlation exists between ferritin levels and histologic grade evaluated in 48. gastric cancer patients (well differen