Coagulation problems in patients with cancer

The cases of 43 cancer patients and nine patients without cancer were reviewed to assess the coagulation mechanism in patients with cancer. Of the 43 patients with cancer, at least one factor known to be associated with coagulation disturbances was present in 26. Hematologic or coagulation studies disclosed one or more abnormalities in 34 of the patients. A subgroup of 17 patients had no clinical or laboratory evidence of ongoing variables that should interfere with coagulation or hemostasis. Of these, 11, or 65%, had one or more abnormal results from coagulation studies. Of the nine members of the control group (patients without cancer), no patient had a positive history for a clinical coagulation disorder except for one incidence of thrombophlebitis in the year preceding the study. During the study, at least one coagulation abnormality was disclosed by hematologic testing. The results support the concept that coagulation problems in cancer patients are attributable to debilitation, multiple organ involvement, and coagulation-interfering variables rather than to a primary effect of the malignant tumor.