New-onset anemia linked to higher cancer risk, study finds
A Swedish registry study of more than 380,000 adults found that newly developed anemia is associated with a significantly higher short-term risk of cancer diagnosis—especially in the first three months—and with higher all-cause mortality over 18 months. Microcytic anemia was more often linked to digestive cancers, while macrocytic anemia showed a stronger association with overall mortality. Researchers say anemia may signal an underlying disease rather than cause cancer, and they call for structured follow-up, noting the observational nature of the study.