han Medical University Hospital in the central city of Taichung warned Wednesday. Wang Shih-juei, a doctor at the hospital’s Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, made the remarks after two of his patients were diagnosed with different types of cancer following a continuous drop in hemoglobin levels.
A 20-something man receiving regular monthly treatments for asthma at Wang’s clinic and showed signs of anemia, with hemoglobin levels between 10.6g/dl and 11.3g/dl, according to Wang.
Wang added that, at the beginning, he attributed the symptoms to poor nutrition, but after several courses of treatment found that the patient’s hemoglobin level had nonetheless continued to drop, if slightly.
As the patient complained of often feeling tired, Wang advised him to get a thorough physical checkup, during which it was discovered that the patient had first-stage gastric cancer.
Wang said the patient is now recovering well after surgery and his hemoglobin levels have surged to 11.7g/dl (above 12.0g/dl is normal) in early November.
Citing another case as an example, Wang said that a 45-year-old woman who sought treatment for arthritis at his clinic in October also reported symptoms of anemia, including dizziness and fatigue, and later showed an abnormally low hemoglobin level of 5.5g/dl during a routine blood test.
Wang added that the woman was diagnosed with colorectal cancer after several checkups and is now recovering from surgery after doctors removed her cancerous cells. Her hemoglobin level has already jumped to 10.8g/dl.
