Nadroparin May Prevent Blood Clots During Chemo

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Nadroparin May Prevent Blood Clots During ChemotherapyStudy suggests treatment reduces rate of thrombolytic events compared to placebo

Publish date: Sep 2, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- In patients receiving chemotherapy for metastatic or locally advanced solid cancer, nadroparin may reduce the risk of thromboembolic events, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in The Lancet Oncology.

Giancarlo Agnelli, M.D., of the University of Perugia in Italy, and colleagues randomly assigned 1,150 patients with lung, gastrointestinal, pancreatic, breast, ovarian, or head and neck cancer to receive either subcutaneous injections of nadroparin or placebo for up to four months.

Compared to placebo, the researchers found that nadroparin was associated with lower rates of thrombolytic events (2 versus 3.9 percent), minor bleeding (7.4 versus 7.9 percent), and serious adverse events (15.7 versus 17.6 percent). They observed major bleeding in five nadroparin-treated patients, but in none of the placebo-treated patients.

"Future studies should focus on patients at high risk for thromboembolism, such as patients with lung cancer or patients identified through the use of scores that have recently been proposed to optimize patient risk stratification," the authors conclude.

The study was supported by Italfarmaco SpA; co-author, Carlo Bianchini, M.D., is the scientific director of Italforamaco SpA.

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