Abstract: We read with interest the excellent review article on platelets and cancer growth in the July issue of The Lancet Oncology.1 Nash GF Turner LF Scully MF Kakkar AK Platelets and cancer. Lancet Oncol. 2002; : 425-430 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (316) Google Scholar The authors postulated that anticoagulant agents may be used as metastatic inhibitors. Indeed, various experimental studies have shown that tumour growth and metastasis can be inhibited by anticoagulants. 2 Francis JL Biggerstaff J Amirkhosravi A Hemostasis and malignancy. Semin Thromb Hemost. 1998; : 93-109 Crossref PubMed Scopus (140) Google Scholar , 3 Smorenburg SM van Noorden CJF The complex effects of heparins on cancer progression and metastasis in experimental studies. Pharm Rev. 2001; : 93-105 PubMed Google Scholar It is still a matter of debate, however, whether anticoagulant treatment can affect cancer therapy in man. Schulman and co-workers reported a lower incidence of newly diagnosed cancer among patients with thrombosis treated with vitamin K-antagonists (VKA) for a period of 6 months. 4 Schulman S Lindmarker P Incidence of cancer after prophylaxis with warfarin against recurrent venous thromboembolism. N Engl J Med. 2000; : 1953-1958 Crossref PubMed Scopus (325) Google Scholar Various other studies have reported the inhibitory effects of VKA on the progression of malignancy. However, most of these studies have been methodically imperfect and do not provide enough evidence to draw definitive conclusions.
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-10-01
Language: en
Type: letter
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 8
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