Low-molecular-weight heparins: beyond thrombosis in the management of the cancer patient.
Thrombosis is a common complication in patients with cancer and large, retrospective population-based studies indicate that cancer patients with clinical venous thromboembolism have a poorer prognosis than those without. The risk of thrombosis appears to differ between different tumor types. Beyond the important impact that fatal pulmonary embolism may have on cancer outcome, the activated coagulation serine proteases generated by cancer cells through the peritumor activation of blood coagulation pathways are able to interact with cell surface protease receptors. These, in turn, mediate several cellular events resulting in important phenotypic alterations in tumor cell behavior.
Kakkar
Ajay K
AK
Department of Surgical Oncology and Technology, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom. blanless@tri-london.ac.uk
D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases