%0 Journal Article
%T Ferritin above 100 mcg/L could rule out colon cancer, but not gastric or rectal cancer in patients with involuntary weight loss
%A Cristian Baicus
%A Simona Caraiola
%A Mihai Rimbas
%A Ruxandra Patrascu
%A Anda Baicus
%J BMC Gastroenterology
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-230x-12-86
%X All consecutive patients with IWL admitted in a secondary care university hospital were prospectively studied. Ferritin, haemoglobin with erythrocyte indices and serum iron were recorded for all patients. The reference standard was bidirectional endoscopy and/or 6 months follow-up.290 patients were included, a quarter had cancer, of which 22 (7.6%) had gastrointestinal cancer (8 gastric cancer, 1 ileum cancer, 13 colorectal cancer). Ferritin had the best area under the curve (AUC), both for gastrointestinal cancer (0.746, CI: 0.691-0.794), and colorectal cancer (0.765, CI: 0.713-0.813), compared to the other parameters of iron deficiency. In the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, ferritin with a cut-off value of 100 mcg/L had a sensitivity of 93% (CI: 69-100%), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.13, with a negative predictive value of 99% (96-100%), while for gastrointestinal cancer, the sensitivity was lower (89%, CI: 67-95%), with a negative likelihood ratio of 0.24. There were three false negative patients, two with gastric cancer, and one with rectal cancer.In patients with involuntary weight loss, a ferritin above 100mcg/L could rule out colon cancer, but not gastric or rectal cancer.
%K Area under the curve (AUC)
%K Gastrointestinal cancer
%K Colon cancer
%K Ferritin
%K Involuntary weight loss
%K Sensitivity and specificity
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-230X/12/86/abstract