The full blood count (FBC) is perhaps the single most common investigation performed in medical patients. It has the potential, when interpreted carefully and in relation to the clinical history, to provide very useful information to assist in diagnosis and management. Clinicians are often alerted to the presence of a primary haematological disorder by abnormalities in the FBC. For the purpose of this review these diseases will not be discussed in detail but the reader will be alerted to pointers which might indicate primary blood disorders throughout the text.
Background: The aetiology of fatigue after stroke is unknown. We explored the relationship between fatigue and C-reactive protein (CRP) as a marker of inflammation.
Lung cancer remains the most common fatal malignancy in the Western world. Survival rates have only improved modestly over the past three decades and new approaches are urgently required. It is clear that a concerted effort to reduce cigarette smoking is required. However, about 10% of patients with lung cancer are never smokers, indicating genetic or other predisposition. Lung cancer screening programmes are being trialled to target high-risk populations. Genetic strategies will provide new methods for screening and predicting response to treatment.