Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are the most common malignancy worldwide, leading to over 1.6 million deaths per annum [1]. The significant burden from this disease and its association with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), particularly in those of an older age [2–4], has led to national guidelines recommending further investigation of the GI tract in the presence of IDA [5–8]. Unlike IDA, there is little consensus regarding the need for further investigations in those with iron deficiency without anaemia (IDWA), despite this being a common haematological finding often noted on routine blood tests.
