A study published in “BLOOD ADVANCES” suggested that people with a cancer diagnosis and non-O blood types faced an increased risk of developing a blood clot in the following three months after diagnosis. VTE is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the US and had made researchers wonder about the risk factors behind the cause.

VTE or in layman’s terms a blood clot is a mass of blood including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that forms in the deep veins of the leg. Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition caused by the breaking of a clot and lodging in the arteries of the lung.

While these clots can affect anyone, the study suggests that people with non-O blood types, having cancer, or taking cancer therapies are at a greater risk of developing it. Patients with pancreatic, gastroesophageal, and brain cancers were considered to be at high risk.

Though tumor type and blood group help in determining the baseline risk for VTE, it is a 50- 50 situation in risk assessment. People with less severe cancers were reported to have experienced dangerous clots. Hence, requiring specialized treatment and monitoring.

(Source:https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/cancer-and-non-o-blood-types-face-risk-of-developing-blood-clots-study 101649907850903.html )