Abstract
BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism is the second leading cause of mortality among cancer patients. The Khorana Risk Assessment Score (KRAS) is widely acknowledged as the most validated tool in this context. AIM: To assess the thrombotic risk in cancer patients using the modified Khorana Risk Assessment Score, examine the association between modified KRAS and soluble P-selectin levels, and document the utilization of thromboprophylaxis among cancer patients at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional hospital-based recruiting 100 cancer patients. Seven millilitres of blood were collected for complete blood count and P-selectin assay. Continuous variables were expressed as mean and standard deviation, while categorical variables were summarized using frequencies. Chi-square was employed to compare VTE risk status across genders, different cancer types, and guideline compliance. The significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Participants age ranged from 19 to 87 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.6. The most common female cancer was Breast at 40.32% and prostate cancer at 65.79% was the most common in males. Seventy nine percent and 21% of participants had intermediate and high-risk modified KRAS scores respectively. The median level of soluble P-selectin among cancer patients was 23.00 within the interquartile range. Significant associations were observed between cancer types and sex, VTE risk assessment and cancer types, and cancer types and risk score. CONCLUSION: The risk of VTE among cancer patients ranges from intermediate to high, going by the modified Khorana risk score irrespective of the P selectin level, with underutilization of thromboprophylaxis. There is little adherence to the Khorana score in our setting, hence the need for greater application and knowledge of this predictive score in clinical practice to improve outcomes and quality of life.