Abdulrahman Alghabban

Introduction: The relationship between cancers and thromboembolic events is well established. In our study, we aim to determine the burden of thromboembolic events in patients with solid tumors and identify the risk factors related to their development. Materials & Methods: Data on patients with solid tumors and thromboembolism between January 2013 and September 2014 were collected and analyzed. Results: During the study period 174 patients were identified. Of which, 172 (98.9%) had venous thrombus embolism, 137 (79%) were diagnosed with deep vein thromboses, 67 (38.5%) with pulmonary embolism, 84 (48.3%) were symptomatic and 90 (51.7) were incidental at diagnosis. The most common patients and disease characteristics were female sex, high body mass index (BMI), metastatic stage, colorectal and breast primaries, and anti-neoplastic therapy. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the high burden of thromboembolic events in cancer patients and the relevant factors associated with its development.

Cyclin‑dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK 4/6) inhibitors have been a major addition to the treatment of hormone receptor‑positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‑negative breast cancer in the metastatic setting and currently in the adjuvant setting with promising results. However, rare yet potentially fatal side‑effects such as interstitial lung disease (ILD)/pneumonitis has been linked to the use of these drugs. The present study describes the case of a female patient with locally advance hormone receptor‑positive, HER2‑negative breast cancer who developed abemaciclib‑induced pneumonitis in the adjuvant setting (monarchE clinical trial). The patient was diagnosed based on presenting with symptoms of cough and shortness of breath, and by a computerized tomography scan after ruling out other causes. The patient exhibited the resolution of her symptoms completely following the discontinuation of abemaciclib treatment.