Dr. Schmaier on Managing Cancer-Associated Thrombosis

Alvin H. Schmaier, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, discusses the management of patients with cancer-associated thrombosis.

The oral anticoagulants, Xa inhibitors can be given as prophylaxis or treatment for patients with cancer-associated thrombosis, explains Schmaier. These agents are given daily without injections or monitoring as primary therapy. The data suggest that these agents have improved safety compared with prior anticoagulants without compromising efficacy.

It is important to recognize that the management of thrombosis should be an adjunct to the patient’s cancer treatment. Data suggest that patients who experience thrombosis within the first year of their cancer diagnosis have a 66% mortality rate. Ignoring the management of thrombosis can compound that risk and compromise the patient’s initial cancer treatment, concludes Schmaier.