MTP6.14 Rush to Restore: Optimising Iron Therapy for Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background and Aims Preoperative anaemia is associated with adverse post-operative outcomes. Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is common in Scottish colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Guidelines emphasize timely anaemia correction before surgery. Ferrinject rapidly elevates haemoglobin levels but delays compromise patient readiness. A previous departmental audit identified delays in ferrinject administration, primarily due to delays in anaemia detection. Following this audit, we implemented a change that required an anaemia screen to be sent from the endoscopy department at the point of CRC diagnosis. This project aims to review the outcomes of this change to the colorectal pathway (CRP). Methods A retrospective analysis of 162 patients (Cohort 2) referred to the Pre-Assessment Clinic following the change in practice was conducted and compared with the 85 patients (Cohort 1) included in the previous analysis. Results An anaemia screen was sent from endoscopy department in 93% of cases. On both cohorts, the rate of IDA was 24%. There was a significantly shorter average period between colonoscopic diagnosis and ferrinject administration in Cohort 2, compared to Cohort 1 (23 days vs 42 days). Conclusion The refined CRP showed significant reduction in time interval between colonoscopy and ferrinject administration. While delays persist due to logistical and medical factors, the streamlined process improves pre-operative haemoglobin optimisation and reduces the risk of delays to surgery. Preparation for cancer surgery is often time sensitive and early identification of modifiable risk factors is desirable.