Stay on the lookout for symptoms!

The signs and symptoms of blood clots are the same for people with or without cancer. Be on the lookout for swelling of the leg, pain, redness, breathlessness and chest pain, cautions Prof. Simon Noble, MD. Breathlessness can be caused by a number of reasons: being anaemic (having a low red blood cell count) or having fluid or a tumour in the lung. However, it may also be a sign that you have a blood clot in your lung. Therefore it is important that you mention symptoms to a professional in order for them to evaluate. 

People do not always recognise symptoms of a blood clot — they put it down to something else. In Prof. Noble’s opinion, both patients and health care professionals need to have a low index of suspicion when it comes to blood clots. Patients need to ask about blood clots. They can be life-threatening. But if picked up early, they can be treated.