IMAGE: This is Prof Annie Young. view more
Credit: University of warwick
Oral drug treatment helps protect cancer patients from potentially deadly DVT and pulmonary embolism
Research from the University of Warwick indicates that taking a tablet a day can help treat cancer patients of a potentially deadly condition.
People with cancer have an increased risk of developing blood clots, with roughly one in five experiencing venous thromboembolism (VTE) – either deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). Blood clots in the deep veins of the leg may travel to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism. These two conditions are referred to as VTE – a dangerous and potentially deadly medical condition of which there are 10 million cases worldwide.
Current international guidelines recommend cancer patients are injected with an anticoagulant (a low molecular weight heparin) to treat and prevent recurrence of VTE. However, new results from a large pilot trial run at the University’s Warwick Medical School called ‘select-d’ suggest that a daily tablet could be a beneficial alternative for treating VTE in selected patients.
Research led by Professor Annie Young of Warwick Medical School found that prescribing the oral drug rivaroxaban (Xarelto) significantly reduced venous thromboembolism recurrence among patients with cancer and VTE.
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