title: Use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in cancer patients with acute stroke.
abstract: People with cancer may be at increased risk for stroke, especially of cardioembolic and large vessel origin. Some clinicians are reluctant to use recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) in the cancer population due to safety concerns. We conducted a retrospective review of patients who received rTPA for acute stroke at an academic cancer center. We report six patients with cancer treated with rTPA at our institution, four of whom had early neurologic recovery. Only one of our six patients suffered minor bleeding as a complication of rTPA. Acute stroke in patients with cancer may be treated with rTPA, and active cancer should not be considered an absolute contraindication to rTPA use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Jerome J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Graber
authors.forename: Lakshmi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Deangelis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator