Karam Karam¹, Johny Salem², Houssein Chebbo³, Sarah Saleh³, Georges El Hachem⁴ and Noha Al-Hachem¹*

¹Associate Professor in Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon
²Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon
³Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
⁴Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon

*Corresponding Author: Noha Al-Hachem, Associate Professor in Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Dekweneh-Beirut, Lebanon.

Received: March 18, 2024; Published: March 30, 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most common type of cancer. It is imperative to find early markers for the prompt detection of CRC, as the prognosis is highly dependent on the stage at which the cancer is identified. Hypercobalaminemia, or high serum levels of Vitamin B12, is a frequently underestimated abnormality in clinical practice. A potential correlation between high vitamin B12 levels and tumorigenesis has been reported. This article reports an additional case where isolated elevation of cobalamin leads to the subsequent diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

Case: 42-year-old Lebanese female with no past medical or surgical history presenting for a regular checkup and was found to have incidental elevated vitamin b12 on general health maintenance laboratory examination. Further investigations lead to the early diagnosis of colon cancer and to favorable outcomes post resection.

Discussion: Despite the existence of effective screening techniques, nearly 2 million cases were reported in 2022, with more than 900,000 deaths per year. Vitamin B12 is essential in homocysteine metabolism, acting as a cofactor of the methionine synthetase enzyme. Due to its significant involvement in DNA methylation, this enzyme may promote tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer and might be a potential non-invasive screening marker as reflected by this case.

Conclusion: Colorectal cancer can present with multiple symptoms, most commonly weight loss, altered bowel habits, or rectal bleeding. Less frequently, it can present as an isolated elevation in vitamin B12 or cobalamin. Clinicians should therefore suspect malignancy, especially CRC, in cases presenting with elevated cobalamin.

Keywords: Cobalamin; Vitamin B12; Colon Cancer

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Citation

Citation: Noha Al-Hachem., et al. “Overview of Natural Faming-A New Environmentally Responsible Production System". Acta Scientific Gastrointestinal Disorders 7.4 (2024): 27-30.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2024 Noha Al-Hachem., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.