Postby weisssoccermom » Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:36 pm
A couple of facts that you should be aware of.
1. Cancer, by itself, predisposes a patient to blood clots.
2. Chemo can cause a patient to be diagnosed with a blood clot.
Now, just because a patient has cancer doesn't mean that every can patient will end up having a clot. I was told that our bodies are 'in balance' with respect to our blood clotting factors and cancer affects that 'balance'. It certainly doesn't happen to everyone but cancer patients, on a whole, are more predisposed to getting a clot (or more) because of some factor(s) that doctors aren't completely sure of.
Chemo also is a risk factor for blood clots.....doctors believe that it may have to do with the fact that chemo damages the blood vessels and/or that chemo may reduce certain proteins in our body which affect clotting.
It is also suspected that chemo and other medications a patient may be taking (birth control or hormone treatments for breast cancer) may actually have an adverse effect with respect to clots.
I can tell you that there have been people on this board, myself included, who have had a clot/clots while on treatment. In my case, I was put on a low dose birth control pill to combat severe menstrual bleeding and the combination of YAZ (BC pill that I was Rx'd), Xeloda and cancer was too much for my body. I ended up with a dozen clots....one DVT in my arm .....the rest of the clots were not life threatening but still very painful. Back in 2007, the only drug (that I am aware of ) for clotting issues was Coumadin (warfarin) and that is what I was put on.....after my hospitalization being treated with Lovenox. As I never had any other issues with clotting and since I was immediately taken off of YAZ, I only stayed on the drug for 2 months. Since then, no other issues but I am very cognizant of what a clot can feel like and to seek medical treatment right away (I also take a baby aspirin everday without fail!)
So to answer your question.....yes, chemo and cancer can be factors which can predispose a patient to blood clots. Your mom should be able to continue with her chemo but be put on a blood thinner such as Coumadin or one of the newer drugs for that problem.
Dx 6/22/2006 IIA rectal cancer
6 wks rad/Xeloda -finished 9/06
1st attempt transanal excision 11/06
11/17/06 XELOX 1 cycle
5 months Xeloda only Dec '06 - April '07
10+ blood clots, 1 DVT 1/07
transanal excision 4/20/07 path-NO CANCER CELLS!
NED now and forever!
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