A five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of $4.7 million is funding research by two Case Comprehensive Cancer Center members. "About 20% of [patients with cancer] develop blood clots, which can cause stroke, hospitalization, and delays in treatment. In fact, cancer-associated thrombosis is the second leading cause of death [among] patients with cancer," said Alok A. Khorana, MD.
The research aims to develop a better risk-prediction tool for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE). Such a tool would assist in identifying patients who will develop blood clots so they can be treated proactively with blood thinners ideally preventing complications.
Khorana recently spoke with HemOnc Today about the impact of cancer-associated VTE and how the research led by himself and Keith R. McCrae, MD will help clinicians and researchers better determine which patients are at risk.