CLINICAL CASES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2002 June;161(3):119-21

Copyright © 2002 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Thrombotic events in cancer, not only paraneoplastic signs. A case report

Niglio A. ¹, Di Micco P. ¹, Chirico G. ¹, Di Giuseppe D. ¹, Russo F. ¹, De Vita F. ², Torella R. ¹

¹ Department of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Metabolism Diseases, Division of General Medicine; ² Division of Oncology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy

We ­report a ­case of ­deep ­vein throm­bo­sis of the ­right leg occur­ring in a 56-­year-old man ­with ­lung can­cer. ­Deep ­vein throm­bo­sis was treat­ed ­with unfrac­tioned hep­a­rine, but throm­bo­phil­ia was per­sis­tent ­also ­after its ther­a­py and was tes­ti­fied by ­high plas­ma ­rate of pro­throm­bin 1+2 frag­ment (F1+2). ­Lung can­cer was in ­local ­advanced ­stage (T3N0M0). Chem­o­ther­a­py was per­formed ­with gem­cit­a­bi­ne and car­bo­plat­i­num for treat­ment of ­lung can­cer. ­This ­case sug­gests ­that ­there is a throm­bo­phil­ic ­state in nat­u­ral his­to­ry of the onco­log­i­cal dis­ease and can­cer is the ­most com­mon ­acquired ­cause of throm­bo­sis. Throm­bo­sis can ­occur as an ear­ly or ­late ­sign of the dis­ease, ­because ­many mech­a­nisms are ­involved in can­cer relat­ed vas­cu­lar throm­bo­sis.