Anaemia of Chronic Disease in Patients with Cancer at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, North West Nigeria

This study characterises anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) in cancer patients receiving care at the oncology unit of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. Anaemia of chronic disease is the most prevalent haematological complication in malignancy, impairing quality of life, treatment tolerance, and prognosis, yet it is frequently under-evaluated in Nigerian cancer care settings. A cross-sectional study enrolled 120 histologically confirmed cancer patients not currently receiving chemotherapy alongside 60 age- and sex-matched non-cancer controls. Full blood count, serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, serum ferritin, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 were assessed. Cancer type, staging, and duration of illness were documented from case records. Anaemia was present in 74.2 percent of cancer patients. ACD criteria (low serum iron, low TIBC, elevated ferritin, normocytic normochromic morphology) were met in 55.8 percent of cases. Pure iron deficiency anaemia accounted for 11.7 percent, and a mixed pattern for the remainder. Elevated IL-6 was found in 82 percent of ACD patients, confirming the inflammatory cytokine-driven hepcidin mechanism. Advanced disease stage correlated significantly with more severe anaemia. The study recommends systematic haematological workup including iron status and inflammatory markers in all cancer patients at UDUTH to distinguish ACD from correctable iron deficiency and guide appropriate intervention. Keywords: anaemia of chronic disease, cancer, hepcidin, interleukin-6, Sokoto.