Understanding the Link Between Pulmonary Embolism and Cancer

The recent death of beloved actress Catherine O’Hara has been blamed on a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that restricts or stops blood flow in the lungs. But cancer may also have contributed to her death.

The 71-year-old actress, known for a wide range of roles in television and film, reportedly died several hours after her symptoms appeared. That is a common complication of pulmonary embolism, which is fatal in about a third of previously undiagnosed cases.

What Is a Pulmonary Embolism?

In general, an embolism refers to a blood clot that restricts or stops the flow of blood in a blood vessel somewhere in the body. When it occurs in the brain, for example, it can cause a stroke. A pulmonary embolism is one that occurs in the arteries that supply blood to the lungs.

Usually, the clot starts in a deep vein in the leg, also known as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Symptoms of an embolism include:

• Shortness of breath, even when resting
• Chest pain, which may be sharp and worse when taking a deep breath
• Fainting (syncope), caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart rate
• Coughing, which may include blood-streaked mucus
• Irregular heartbeat
• Unexplained dizziness
• Legs that are swollen or painful

One of the challenges in getting an early or timely diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is that milder symptoms are often disregarded as being related to aging, an oncoming cold or simply being tired. Often, by the time symptoms become severe, the situation has become an emergency.

The Cancer Connection

O’Hara also was dealing with rectal cancer, which may have factored into her embolism and the speed with which it was identified. Cancer itself increases the risk for clotting in the body, with about 15 percent of cancer patients developing a blood clot in their veins. This may be, in part, because of changes in the blood, which can become stickier as a result of the cancer’s impact on the body.

This is further complicated by sedentary tendencies during treatment. A person who is spending more time in bed is more likely to develop clots in their leg veins. And finally, if you are being treated for cancer – with chemotherapy, for example – you may experiences periods where you feel exhausted or under the weather. As a result, you may be more likely to dismiss early warning signs.

Finding and Treating Blood Clots

The tricky thing about blood clots is that there is no way to diagnose one without some form of advanced imaging. They are usually found with a CT scanner, an imaging machine that uses multiple X-rays to create detailed images of the inside of your body. To get a scan, you either need to seek help after recognizing early symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, or have the clot noticed during a scan for some other issue.

If a clot is identified in time, treatment usually removes it before it becomes dangerous. Treatment usually starts with blood thinners or anti-clotting medications. These may be injected or taken by mouth and may take days or weeks to clear the clot. In extreme cases, more powerful medications – known as clot dissolvers – may be injected into the vein.

In rare instances, the clot may be too large and too dangerous to tackle with medication. Your doctor can use a catheter – a thin tube threaded through your vein – to reach the clot and pull it out.

If the clot has already migrated to your lungs, as a pulmonary embolism, there is the risk of damage to your lungs, even after the clot is removed. In some instances, this can cause breathing difficulty going forward. And even after the clot is gone, your doctor may suggest that you continue taking blood thinners to reduce the risk of a recurrence.

This content is not AI generated.