Patterns of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis during Treatment of Acute Leukemia: Results of a North-American Web-Based Survey

Publication date: Available online 6 August 2015 Source:Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma and Leukemia Author(s): Eun-Ju Lee, B. Douglas Smith, Jessica W. Merrey, Alfred I. Lee, Nikolai A. Podoltsev, Lisa Barbarotta, Mark R. Litzow, Thomas Prebet, Selina M. Luger, Steven Gore, Michael B. Streiff, Amer M. Zeidan Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in 2-12% of patients with acute leukemia (AL) despite disease and therapy-associated thrombocytopenia, and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Due to limited high-quality studies, there are no evidence-based guidelines for VTE prophylaxis in this patient population. To determine the spectrum of practice regarding prevention of VTE in patients with AL during induction and consolidation therapies, we conducted a 19-question web-based survey directed at North American providers caring for these patients. One hundred fifty-one of 215 responses received were eligible for analysis, with a response rate of 20.9% among physicians who treated leukemias. Overall, 47% and 45% of providers reported using pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis during induction and consolidation phases, respectively. Approximately 15% of providers did not utilize any VTE prophylaxis while 36% used mechanical methods and ambulation. Among providers who did not recommend pharmacologic prophylaxis, the most commonly cited reasons were the perceived high risk of bleeding (51%), absence of data supporting use (38%), and perceived low ...
Source: Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma and Leukemia - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research