Knowing how your treatment affects your body is vital
By the time most patients learn about blood clots, it feels too late. Don’t wait, stay proactive. You can start your learning here.
Are you properly informed?
Several years of scientific and clinical research around minimizing suffering and fatalities due to blood clots have given us insights into the connection between cancer and clots.
We now know that certain types of cancer produce a gel-like substance that increases the stickiness of blood. This heightens cancer patients' risk of developing clots. Still, many cancer patients are not properly informed about this when they initiate treatment.
What are the risks and what are the symptoms?
Unfortunately, cancer treatment can cause blood clots that block your veins. 1 in 200 cancer patients experience this, and there is evidence that some treatments, such as certain types of or surgery, increase the risk. While not all cancer types carry the same risk, some types, such as lung cancer and stomach cancer, have an elevated risk. Depending on the area of the blockage, you may experience different levels of pain and symptoms. For example, if it is in the chest, you might experience shortness of breath or sharp chest pains. If it is in a leg, your leg might swell, change colour or throb in pain as you stand up. You can learn more about symptoms here
Talk to your doctor about your risk
Despite being a matter of concern for many cancer patients, not all doctors or cancer specialists talk about this risk to avoid extra worry for their patients. They are deeply involved with other important aspects of your cancer treatment. If you’ve read about blood clots and are concerned, we urge you to bring it up with your doctor or cancer specialist. You can never ask too many questions in order to understand and it is important to get all the facts about your diagnosis.
