Laboratory and Bone Marrow Evaluation in Patients With Cancer.

Patients with cancer frequently have anemia, with or without other associated cytopenias. Cancer-related anemia can be a direct result of tumor invasion of the bone marrow, an indirect result of tumor therapy or systemic symptomatology, or an "incidental" finding resulting from other pathology in the patient. In many cancer cases, anemia may cause the presenting symptoms, and hematologic abnormalities can contribute to the overall morbidity of the tumor. Identification of the pertinent clinical and laboratory abnormalities and correlation with bone marrow histopathology are often essential in establishing an accurate diagnosis and in developing an appropriate treatment plan.