Varicose Veins and Cancer Treatments

If you have varicose veins, you already know first hand about uncomfortable symptoms of pain, swelling, cramping, heaviness, and itching, as well as the bulging (and sometimes unsightly gnarls of blue and purple) veins on the legs and feet.

What you might not realize is that varicose veins hint at deeper issues with your vascular system. You see, people with varicose veins are at greater risk of experiencing serious medical events such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Coincidentally, DVTs are also a side-effect of cancer treatments. This condition is especially dangerous if the clot breaks away and lodges in the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE), which can be life-threatening.

While there isn’t a direct link between varicose veins and cancer, you should know the risks that cancer therapies pose to your vein health, particularly if you have varicose veins.

Varicose Veins, DVT, and Cancer

Varicose veins happen when damaged valves in the veins no longer close tight enough to push the blood they are carrying back to the heart. The blood then accumulates within the vein. Eventually, the vein wall stretches from the excess of trapped blood. An enlarged varicose vein then appears.

Many factors put you at higher risk of varicose veins and DVT. You might inherit a clotting disorder. Obesity or a job requiring long hours sitting or standing could also cause their formation. A long plane or car ride increases DVT risk, too. Anything that causes your blood to move less efficiently increases your risk. Likewise, cancer and its treatments harm your veins and increase the potential for developing blood clots for two reasons:

• Cancer cells interfere with the clotting mechanism in your blood. When you cut yourself, a healthy mix of platelets and proteins stops the bleeding by clotting your blood. But certain cancers such as lung, liver, stomach, pancreatic, leukemia, and lymphoma change the balance between those agents. When that happens, you may produce too many clots.

• Chemotherapy drugs, particularly tamoxifen for breast cancer, sometimes damages veins or decreases blood-clotting proteins in the blood. Also, many cancer patients may be inactive for long periods following surgery or treatments. As you already know, the longer you stay in bed or are immobile, the more likely clots will form.

Does that mean varicose vein patients will experience a blood clot if they receive cancer treatments? According to a 2013 study of 1,270 cancer patients, those who presented with varicose veins experienced an increased risk of DVT. In fact, the presence of varicose veins doubled the risk of DVT in cancer patients.

When to Talk to Your Vein Specialist

Cancer and cancer treatments can be harmful to veins already compromised by varicosity. So if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, talk to your vein specialist right away about taking proven measures to control your DVT risk. Therapies such as blood thinners can maintain proper blood flow so clots don’t form. And if a clot does develop, clot-busting medications reduce the possibility the clot will grow and travel. Staying active, elevating your legs when possible, and wearing tightly woven compression stockings further reduce your chances of developing a blood clot, as well.