BSH 2017 | Development of blood clots in multiple myeloma patients treated with immunomodulatory drugs
Karthik Ramasamy, MBBS, MRCP, FRCPath, PhD from the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK discusses the development of blood clots in multiple myeloma patients treated with immunomodulatory drugs at the 2017 British Society for Haematology (BSH) Annual Scientific Meeting in Brighton, UK. Immunomodulatory drugs are important for the treatment of multiple myeloma, however, approximately 5-15% of patients taking these drugs develop blood clots. This can be prevented by prescribing heparin derivatives and aspirin. The cause of these blood clots is currently unknown. Current research suggests that the combination of high dose steroids, bone abnormalities and inflammation is a probable cause. Research is ongoing to understand this mechanism better.
