Frequently Asked Questions

Excerpted from recent VDF's Live "Ask the Doctor" Chat with Drs. Rathbun and Cherry, Transcripts of all chats may be found online at www.vdf.org.

Question: I'm currently undergoing cancer treatment and would like to know if I need to be worried about DVT while taking chemo. Also, what is it about cancer that causes DVT?
Answer: Patients with cancer are certainly at higher risk for DVT. You should definitely receive DVT-prevention measures (mainly blood-thinner injections and/or compression devices) while you are in the hospital. If you are at home and walk at least several times a day, most physicians would not take special measures to prevent DVT. Even if the cancer is being treated by chemo, the risk of clots is higher. Cancer cells produce proteins that increase clotting.

Question: I have pain in my left leg and have had mild chest pain as well. Could these be connected? My tests have shown that I have very little plaque in only one artery. Both of my parents had heart disease, and my mother was diabetic.
Answer: There is definitely a link between heart troubles and artery troubles in the legs. Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are at increased risk for blockages due to atherosclerosis in the coronary (heart arteries). It sounds as if you have many risk factors for vascular disease. You should discuss these symptoms with your doctor. He/she may recommend an ABI test to diagnose arterial disease in your legs (PAD).

Question: Do pneumatic pumps help or do any good for arterial diseases?
Answer: Pneumatic compression pumps (also called "arterial flow pumps"), have shown benefit for certain patients with PAD, such as those with severe critical limb ischemia and no other treatment options. Some other patients may also benefit. You should discuss this with a vascular specialist.