Preventing blood clots in people with lung cancer
Researchers from University Hospital Birmingham are currently recruiting for their Thrombo-Stop trial. The clinical trial aims to prevent blood clots in people with lung cancer.
Blood clots in deep veins, usually in the legs, are called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Clots in the lungs are called pulmonary embolism (PE). Both are common complications of lung cancer. They can reduce quality of life and may be fatal, so prevention is very important.
The Thrombo-Stop trial is being performed to find out if a tablet called apixaban can reduce blood clots in people with lung cancer that are having chemotherapy or similar treatments. Apixaban is a type of tablet anticoagulant that makes the blood less sticky to prevent blood clots forming.
Apixaban is widely used in the UK to treat other conditions, and this trial aims to see if it will also be effective to prevent blood clots in people with lung cancer.
Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups, with a 50% chance of getting either the apixaban tablets (Intervention group) or placebo tablets (Control group), which will be taken by mouth twice a day for a total of 6 months. This treatment will be taken in addition to any treatment that they are receiving to treat their lung cancer.
Participants will need to:
- Sign a consent form to enter the trial.
- Take the trial treatment as directed by the research team
- Complete a participant diary to record when they took the trial treatment
- Complete the Quality of Life and Health resource use questionnaires.
- Female participants of childbearing potential must use adequate contraception during the trial and for at least 2 days after trial treatment has finished.
The trial will be recruiting participants during 2026 to 2029 and will include 40-50 centres in the UK.