Arterial occlusion in patients with peripheral vascular disease treated with platinum-based regimens for lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Patients with cancer may be hypercoagulable, and smoking can cause both lung cancer and peripheral vascular disease. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has been reported to cause a variety of vascular side effects.


METHODS
Five patients with bronchogenic carcinoma and peripheral vascular disease developed acute arterial occlusion soon after receiving a combination of cisplatin or carboplatin plus etoposide. All these patients had risk factors for atherosclerosis and three of them had preexisting known peripheral vascular disease.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of acute arterial occlusion soon after initiation of chemotherapy suggests that it might have been a complication of this therapy. Hence, caution should be exercised when using platinum-based (and other?) chemotherapy in patients with known moderate or severe peripheral vascular disease.
Mathews
J
J
Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, Canada.
Goel
R
R
Evans
W K
WK
Shamji
F
F
Stewart
D J
DJ
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin