medwireNews: Survivors of ischemic stroke are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the general population, a chart review suggests.
Among 381 patients treated for stroke at a single centre over a 3-year period, 29 were diagnosed with cancer during 18 months of follow-up, whereas the study authors had expected 17 cases based on cancer incidence in the general population.
As presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid, Spain, just under half (44.83%) of the cancer diagnoses occurred within 6 months of the ischemic stroke. This indicates that “the cancer was already present when the stroke occurred but there were no symptoms,” presenting author Jacobo Rogado (Hospital de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain) said in a press release.
He added: “Stroke survivors should be followed clinically for the development of cancer in the 18 months after the diagnosis of stroke.”
Rogado noted that the vigilance “applies particularly to older patients who had cancer previously, or who have high fibrinogen or low levels of haemoglobin,” as their study identified these as significant predictors of occult cancer.
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