Tampa, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/11/2016 -- A pair of studies published in 2012 show an increased risk of blood clots among lung cancer patients.

A study published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis identified rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among lung cancer patients, some of whom were receiving chemotherapy. Both groups had a higher-than-average risk of VTE, and the increase was more pronounced in the chemotherapy patients. The second study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, found an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a type of VTE) among advanced cancer patients, especially lung cancer patients.

Greg Grambor, president of Vascular PRN, a distributor of pneumatic compression therapy equipment for the prevention of blood clots, explained why cancer patients are often at increased risk of DVT.

"It's not necessarily the cancer itself that increases the risk of DVT, but the concurrent factors," Grambor said. "Surgery increases the risk, as does inactivity due to surgery or general fatigue. Chemotherapy has also been shown to increase the incidence of blood clots."

Chemotherapy can reduce the body's production of anti-clotting proteins, as well as damage blood vessels. Some cancers, among them lung cancer, result in the production of mucin, a substance that increases the incidence of clots.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network issue guidelines for the prevention and treatment of blood clots in cancer patients. In addition to commonly prescribed anticoagulants such as aspirin and warfarin, both groups advise the use of mechanical therapy, such as pneumatic compression devices like those offered by Vascular PRN.

"The incidence of side effects in the use of compression therapy is much lower than in blood-thinning drugs," Grambor said. "We are seeing an increased use of compression therapy in recent years, especially among nursing home residents and post-surgical patients."

Go to http://www.vascularprn.com/