Background

The treatment of cancer associated thrombosis (CAT) is well established, with level 1A evidence to support the recommendation of a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) by daily injection for 3–6 months. However, registry data suggest compliance to clinical guidelines is poor. Clinicians face particular challenges in treating CAT in advanced cancer patients due to shorter life expectancy, increased bleeding risk and concerns that self injection may be too burdensome. For these reasons decision making around the diagnosis and management of CAT in people with advanced cancer, can be complex, and should focus on its likely net benefit for the patient. We explored factors that influence doctors’ decision making in this situation and sought to gain an understanding of the barriers and facilitators to the application of best practice.

Methods

Think aloud exercises using standardised case scenarios, and individual in depth interviews were conducted. All were transcribed. The think aloud exercises were analysed using Protocol Analysis and the interviews using Framework Analysis.

Participants: 46 participants took part in the think aloud exercises and 45 participants were interviewed in depth. Each group included oncologists, palliative physicians and general practitioners and included both senior doctors and those in training.

Setting: Two Strategic Health Authority regions, one in the north of England and one in Wales.

Results

The following key issues arose from the data synthesis: the importance of patient prognosis; the concept of “appropriateness”; “benefits and burdens” of diagnosis and treatment; LMWH or warfarin for treatment and sources of information which changed practice. Although interlinked, they do describe distinct aspects of the factors that influence doctors in their decisions in this area.

Conclusions

The above factors are issues doctors take into account when deciding whether to send a patient to hospital for investigation or to anticoagulate a patient with confirmed or suspected VTE. Many factors interweave and are themselves influenced by and dependent on each other. It is only after all are taken into account that the doctor arrives at the point of referring the patient for investigation. Some factors including logistic and organisational issues appeared to influence whether a patient would be investigated or treated with LMWH for a confirmed VTE. It is important that services are optimised to ensure that these do not hinder the appropriate investigation and management of individual patients.

The outlook for metastatic melanoma to the brain is dismal. New therapeutic avenues are therefore needed. The anti-metastatic mechanisms that may underpin the effects of low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) in in vitro and preclinical melanoma models warrant translating to a clinical setting. This review outlines a rationale that supports our proposal that metastatic melanoma to the brain is a clinical setting in which to study the anti-metastatic potential of LMWHs. Prevention or delay of brain metastases in melanoma is a clinically relevant and measurable target. Studies to explore the effect of anticoagulants on cancer survival are underway in other malignancies such as lung, pancreas, ovary, breast, and stomach cancer. However, no study to our knowledge has a methodology that could produce clinical evidence in support of a mechanism for whatever benefit may be seen. The setting we propose would allow translation of the molecular knowledge of the metastatic pathways mediated by platelets and the selectins—all potential targets of heparin—in a “time to appearance” of brain metastases endpoint. Since brain metastases are so common and they have a singularly adverse impact on survival, the “biological neuroprotection” model we propose in metastatic melanoma could provide the translational evidence to support the benefit of LMWHs in melanoma. More significantly, this would open the door to a wider “anti-metastatic” approach that could have much greater impact in patients with minimal disease being treated in adjuvant settings for the more common malignancies such as breast and colon cancer.

Optimum heart failure medication and an increasing array of interventions have had an enormous effect on morbidity and mortality over the past 10 years. However, patients with end stage disease can still be highly symptomatic. Moreover, such patients are disadvantaged compared with patients with malignant disease. They are less likely to have an understanding of their illness or have access to supportive care. They are also less likely to have the opportunity to plan for care with regard to death and dying. There is increasing demand that the multi‐professional clinical team gain good communication and supportive care skills, and that appropriate access to specialist palliative care services is available.