Study shows that blood clots are a complication for cancer patients
In an effort to help prevent heart attacks, strokes and other consequences caused by abnormal blood clots, some patients buy Plavix and other anti-platelet drugs.
In an effort to help prevent heart attacks, strokes and other consequences caused by abnormal blood clots, some patients buy Plavix and other anti-platelet drugs. New research shows that cancer patients may also be prone to abnormal blood clots, complicating their recovery process and costing them more money.
A study led by Duke Cancer Institute reviewed 30,552 subjects, culled from a database of more than 17 million cancer patients in the U.S. who underwent four years of chemotherapy. These cases included cancers of the lungs, pancreas, stomach, colon/rectum, bladder and ovaries.
The researchers wanted to know who was at risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), an abnormal blood clot in the leg or pelvis that can endanger the patient if it moves to the lungs. Results showed that after three and a half months, risks for VTE varied among the patients, depending on what disease they had. The risks ranged from 4.8 percent in bladder cancer, to 11.9 percent in pancreatic cancer.
However, after one year, the likelihood of VTE doubled for many of these groups. In the future, knowing who is at risk can help doctors determine which patients need anti-clotting therapy, the researchers said.
Cancer patients dealing with VTE can face costs of about $110,000, compared to about $78,000 for those without VTE, according to the researchers.
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