HEMATOCRIT AND HEMOGLOBIN RATIO: A POTENTIAL INDICATOR FOR CERVICAL CANCER PROGNOSIS – A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu; Olga G. Goryacheva

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v10i3.1366

Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu Department of Biomedical and Laboratory Science, Africa University, Zimbabwe.
Olga G. Goryacheva Perm State Medical University, Russia.

10.22270/ujpr.v10i3.1366

Keywords:

Biomarkers, cervical cancer, hemoglobin, hematocrit, tumor microenvironment

Abstract

Cervical cancer continues to be a major source of cancer-related illness and death among women globally, especially in low- and middle-income nations. Although progress in screening and treatment has enhanced results, discovering straightforward, affordable, and broadly available prognostic indicators is essential, particularly in resource-constrained environments. Hematological measures like hematocrit (Hct) and hemoglobin (Hb) are regularly assessed in clinical settings, and their ratio Hct/Hb has recently been identified as a potentially significant marker for disease progression and treatment response. The Hct/Hb ratio indicates modifications in red blood cell structure, plasma volume, and systemic inflammation elements closely related to tumor biology and anemia associated with cancer. In cervical cancer, alterations in this ratio might relate to tumor hypoxia, inadequate oxygen supply, and inflammatory mechanisms that encourage disease advancement and therapeutic resistance. Initial research has suggested that a diminished or modified Hct/Hb ratio might correlate with later disease stages, lowered treatment effectiveness, and reduced survival rates, indicating its importance as a prognostic factor.