Blood clots are the second most common cause of preventable mortality in cancer patients. Approximately 4% to 20% of cancer patients experience venous thrombosis, an incidence four to five times higher than in the general population.
But awareness of cancer-associated thrombosis and preventable measures is remarkably low throughout Europe, according to a recent survey from the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) carried out in six European Union countries, in over 1,000 cancer patients. British chemotherapy patients, in particular, have indicated that they have limited knowledge about cancer-associated thormbosis and received no information about the condition, with diagnosis and treatment of the condition often delayed.
The report states that if a cancer patient requires anticoagulation treatment, it is important to offer a treatment choice, informed by a discussion with health professionals about the attributes the various forms of treatment offer and the patient’s preferences. Attributes for anticoagulation treatment important to cancer patients include: the level of interference with their cancer treatment, the rate of thrombosis recurrence rate, the risk of major bleed, and the administration route.
ECPC collaborated with Quality Health – a UK-based specialist health and social care survey organisation – to carry out the patient study. The report, supported by Leo Pharma, is available at: http://www.ecpc.org/ECPC_2018_Cancer_associated_thrombosis_awareness_survey_report.pdf
Other news items in BJC Issue 4, 2018:
New heart failure nurse audit
Preventing potentially fatal anaesthetic accidents
Future advances in bifurcation stenting?
Peripheral arterial disease assessment training tool
News in brief
