Activated coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with lung cancer - The influence of chemotherapy

Patients with lung cancer are known to have an increased thrombophilia due to an activated clottingsystem. In the presenting investigation we determined. thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), D-Dimeres (D-D)) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) in 70 Patients with NSCLC and 24 patients with SCLC prior to and after chemotherapy. TAT-and D-Dimere-values were used for determine the extent of thrombinactivation whereas PAI is used to evaluate the extent of fibrinolysis. We found in accordance with previously reported results a distinct thombinactivation in lung cancer patients prior to chemotherapy. In patients with NSCLC a remarkable effect of chemotherapy was seen. Whereas patients with NSCLC and PR showed a significant reduction of the thrombinactivation, in patients with PD a further increase of the thrombinactivation was detected. In patients with SCLC our results were, due to the small number of patients not as clear as in patients with NSCLC but the same tendency is suggested. An initially raised PAI-value with an increase during chemotherapy points forward a poor prognosis.