ADVERTISEMENT
Chemotherapy Patients at Increased Risk for VTE
Patients receiving chemotherapy are at an increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), a new study finds.
The study examined a large cohort of unselected patients with solid tumors who started chemotherapy from January 2005 to December 2008. Patients were located through the United States IMPACT healthcare claims database.
The study found 7.3% (range, 4.6%-11.6% across cancer locations) of patients had a VTE incident 3.5 months after starting chemotherapy. The percentage rose to 13.5% (range, 9.8%-21.3%) at 12 months. Patients with pancreatic, stomach, and lung cancer had the highest VTE risk.
“This is an important study that suggests the rates of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in a real world setting are considerably greater than the rates reported in selected patients in clinical trials,” said Dr. Gary Lyman in an email.
Patients who had VTEs were also at increased risk for major bleeding compared with those who did not have VTEs, both at 3.5 months, 11% and 3.8% respectively, and 12 months, 19.8% and 9.6% respectively.
Healthcare costs one year before and after the start of chemotherapy were also analyzed. “These complications not only represent serious and life-threatening complications of cancer and cancer treatment, but are also associated with a considerable increase in healthcare costs,” Dr. Lyman said.
Thromboprophylaxis may be appropriate for patients in which VTE develops, the study authors concluded.
“It will be important for healthcare providers to assess both the risks and potential benefits of any measures to reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism such as prophylactic anticoagulation,” Dr. Lyman said.
The study was published in The Oncologist.
--Stephanie Vaccaro
References:
