title: Cancer patients and characteristics of pulmonary embolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To check the hypothesis that cancer patients suffer from extended pulmonary embolism (PE) more frequently than patients without cancer we analysed PEs proved by computed tomography (CT)-imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty consecutive CT scans at the University Hospital of Essen from March 2002 until December 2004 which proved a definite case of pulmonary embolism were retrospectively reviewed (79 men, 71 women; mean age 57+/-15 years). Underlying disease and blood parameters were included (haemoglobin, haematocrit, fibrinogen and total protein, if determined within 48 h before the CT scans).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with malignant disease were older (59+/-12 years vs. 54+/-19 years, p=0.05) and tend to have a higher rate of central PEs (52% vs. 34%, p=0.08) than patients without malignancies. The odds of a central PE in cancer patients was about twice as high as in patients without a malignant disease (Odds ratio: 2.08, 95%-confidence interval: 1.06-4.10; age-adjusted Odds ratio 1.88, 95%-confidence interval: 0.92-3.84). Additional adjustment for the clinical information dyspnoea, inhospital patient and clinically expected PE did not deteriorate the odds. Thrombus density determined in patients with central PE only shows a trend towards a lower density in patients with malignant disease (52+/-13 HE vs. 45+/-15 HE, p=0.13). There is no statistical evidence that thrombus density is related to one of the blood parameters or even blood density measured in the pulmonary artery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this is a retrospective study including a small number of patients it shows that cancer patients are at a higher risk for central PE than patients without cancer. Characteristics of the intrapulmonal thrombus in cancer and non-cancer patients seem to be different.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hasenberg
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feuersenger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goyen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kröger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult