Pulmonary embolism in patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer

• Published in: European journal of cancer & clinical oncology Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 585 - 586
• Main Authors: Canney, Peter A., Wilkinson, Peter M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.1985; New York, NY Pergamon Press
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; Cisplatin - adverse effects; Doxorubicin - adverse effects; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; Humans; Medical sciences; Ovarian Neoplasms - complications; Ovarian Neoplasms - drug therapy; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pulmonary Embolism - etiology; Retrospective Studies; Toxicity: respiratory system, ent, stomatology; Antineoplastic agent; Pulmonary embolism; Human; Ovary; Chemotherapy; Toxicity; Cardiovascular disease; Advanced stage; Tumor; Pulmonary vascular disease
• ISSN: 0277-5379
• DOI: 10.1016/0277-5379(85)90084-7

The incidence of pulmonary embolism was examined in a series of 83 patients who had received chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer and ten embolic episodes occurred. The incidence of pulmonary emboli was highest in those patients who had gross bulk disease ( >10 cm diameter) before chemotherapy and occurred in 9 49 cases, with all six fatalities being in this group. Five of the six fatal emboli occurred within 1 week of the first course of chemotherapy. As the mortality rate from pulmonary emboli in patients with gross bulk turnover was 12% in this series, anticoagulation before initiating chemotherapy is suggested for this group of patients.