Cancer Investigation, Early Online:1–6, 2015 ISSN: 0735-7907 print / 1532-4192 online C 2015 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. Copyright DOI: 10.3109/07357907.2015.1048871
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE): Awareness and Prophylaxis Practices Reported by Patients with Cancer Anita Aggarwal,1 Lisa Fullam,2 Alan P. Brownstein,2 Gregory A. Maynard,2,3 Jack Ansell,2,4 Elizabeth A. Varga,2,5 Richard. J. Friedman,2,3,6 and Frederick. R. Rickles1,2 George Washington University and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, 2 National Blood Clot Alliance, Rockville, MD, 3 University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 4 Hofstra North Shore/LIJ School of Medicine, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, 5 Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 6 Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
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bility, previous history of thrombosis, and pregnancy). The risk of VTE is greater among those cancer patients who are hospitalized, undergo surgery, or are on active cancer therapy (10–18). Providing primary VTE prophylaxis to hospitalized ‘at risk’ individuals can dramatically reduce the likelihood of a VTE. Indeed, all major guidelines recommend that most hospitalized patients with cancer receive pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, provided there is no contraindication to the use of anticoagulants (19,20). The role of VTE in the biology of cancer is also of intense current interest, particularly since the mortality rate is greater among cancer patients with VTE than among cancer patients without a concomitant episode of VTE (21,22). At-risk oncology patients appear to have low awareness levels of both the terms DVT and PE, when compared to awareness data reported among a sample of the general public (23). The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) conducted a DVT/PE Awareness Survey in direct response to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent DVT and PE (1), with the objectives of determining the level of DVT/PE awareness among patients with cancer and to identify gaps in DVT/PE prophylaxis reported by these patients.
Patients with cancer are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). An online survey to measure PE/DVT terminology awareness and understanding of VTE risks revealed 24% and 15% of the 500 cancer patients surveyed had heard of term DVT/PE; 19% and 17% could name signs/ symptoms of DVT/PE; 3% recognized cancer treatments as risk factors for DVT/PE. Only 25% of the patients received prevention education from providers;
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE): Awareness and Prophylaxis Practices Reported by Patients with Cancer Anita Aggarwal,1 Lisa Fullam,2 Alan P. Brownstein,2 Gregory A. Maynard,2,3 Jack Ansell,2,4 Elizabeth A. Varga,2,5 Richard. J. Friedman,2,3,6 and Frederick. R. Rickles1,2 George Washington University and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, 2 National Blood Clot Alliance, Rockville, MD, 3 University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 4 Hofstra North Shore/LIJ School of Medicine, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, 5 Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, 6 Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Cancer Invest Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Deakin University on 08/12/15 For personal use only.
1
bility, previous history of thrombosis, and pregnancy). The risk of VTE is greater among those cancer patients who are hospitalized, undergo surgery, or are on active cancer therapy (10–18). Providing primary VTE prophylaxis to hospitalized ‘at risk’ individuals can dramatically reduce the likelihood of a VTE. Indeed, all major guidelines recommend that most hospitalized patients with cancer receive pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, provided there is no contraindication to the use of anticoagulants (19,20). The role of VTE in the biology of cancer is also of intense current interest, particularly since the mortality rate is greater among cancer patients with VTE than among cancer patients without a concomitant episode of VTE (21,22). At-risk oncology patients appear to have low awareness levels of both the terms DVT and PE, when compared to awareness data reported among a sample of the general public (23). The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) conducted a DVT/PE Awareness Survey in direct response to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent DVT and PE (1), with the objectives of determining the level of DVT/PE awareness among patients with cancer and to identify gaps in DVT/PE prophylaxis reported by these patients.
Patients with cancer are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). An online survey to measure PE/DVT terminology awareness and understanding of VTE risks revealed 24% and 15% of the 500 cancer patients surveyed had heard of term DVT/PE; 19% and 17% could name signs/ symptoms of DVT/PE; 3% recognized cancer treatments as risk factors for DVT/PE. Only 25% of the patients received prevention education from providers;
