After undergoing a radical cystectomy, bladder cancer patients should receive venous thromboembolism prophylaxis treatment well beyond their hospital discharge, according to a new study in BJU International.
In a study comprised of 3,879 bladder cancer patients, researchers found that 3.6 percent of said patients were diagnosed with VTE within one month of surgical admission. This number increased to 4.7 percent at two months and 5.4 percent at three months. Fifty-five percent of these VTE events happened after the patients had been discharged. Patients who undergo this procedure typically no longer receive prophylactic drug treatment to decrease the risk of VTE post-discharge.
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The study affirmed prior knowledge about the rates of VTE in this particular patient-population. The amount of patients diagnosed after hospital discharge surprised the study's authors. The researchers identified few predicative factors in patients who experienced VTE. The study's findings suggest most patients undergoing bladder cancer surgery should receive extended VTE prophylaxis treatment.