Breast Cancer and Anemia: What’s the Connection?

By Elizabeth Millard, Nov 14, 2024

What Causes Anemia in People With Breast Cancer? Many types of cancer, including breast cancer, can lead to anemia, says Kecia Gaither, M.D., an OB/GYN and director of perinatal services and maternal fetal medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx, NY.

The lump in your breast is really a mass of cancerous cells, known as a tumor, which has blood vessels within it. These tend to be fragile enough that they bleed easily, according to research in the Annals of Palliative Medicine. Tumors can also increase inflammation throughout the body, and this may decrease red blood cell production. If breast cancer has invaded the bone marrow, which makes red blood cells, it can replace bone marrow cells with cancer cells, says Dr. Gaither. “This slows the production of red blood cells, and that can lead to dysfunction in how bone marrow operates,” she adds.

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