Cancer and Cerebrovascular Disease

• Published in: Current neurology and neuroscience reports Vol. 19; no. 10; pp. 73 - 10
• Main Author: Adams, Harold P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-10-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cerebrovascular diseases; Chemotherapy; Disseminated intravascular coagulation; Endocarditis; Head and neck; Hemorrhage; Ischemia; Malignancy; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metastases; Metastasis; Neurology; Neurology of Systemic Diseases (J. Biller; Neurosciences; Radiation therapy; Reperfusion; Section Editor; Stroke; Thrombosis; Topical Collection on Neurology of Systemic Disease; Disseminated intravascular coagulation; Venous sinus thrombosis; Ischemic stroke; Intracerebral hemorrhage; Non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis
• ISSN: 1528-4042; 1534-6293
• DOI: 10.1007/s11910-019-0985-0

Purpose of Review
To review the latest information about the interactions between cancer and cerebrovascular disease.
Recent Findings
Additional data support the finding that both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke are important complications of cancer or its treatment. Reperfusion therapy is being given successfully to patients with stroke complicating cancer.
Summary
Hemorrhagic stroke may occur with metastatic disease to the brain, coagulopathies from cancer, in particular leukemia, or as complications of chemotherapy. Ischemic stroke also may be a complication of metastatic disease with local invasion of vessels, a pro-thrombotic disorder such as non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), or secondary to chemotherapy. Stroke also is a potential consequence of radiation therapy to the head and neck. Venous sinus thrombosis may develop with hematologic malignancies or chemotherapy. Although many patients will have a history of cancer at the time of stroke, a cerebrovascular event may be the initial manifestation of a malignancy.