Thrombotic complications during cancer treatment in children

To determine the hereditary risk factors contributing to the development of thrombosis in children with cancer.

Sensitive PCR- restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.

There has been shown significant prevalence of factor V leiden (FVL) in the group of 19 patients with thrombosis (P=0.0004). The prothrombin G20210A mutation was not detected in 19 cases and 80 controls, indicating low frequency of this mutation among Belarusian population. The MTHFR C677T mutation was found in both cases and controls and has approximately the same frequencies in both groups (47.4% and 55.0% accordingly).

Clinical condition, coagulation status, volume of haemostatic therapy and clinical evidence of sepsis, as well as duration of catheterization were not significant as predisposing to thrombosis factors. We have shown that the leading risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in children with cancer are mutation FVL, prolonged immobilization or both immobilization and indwelling femoral venous catheter. Cancer patients affected with VTE during treatment are potential candidates for genotyping assay for FVL mutation, as the former may determine duration of anticoagulation therapy and administration of secondary prophylaxis.