Von willebrand factor plasma level and bleeding scale score before and after radiation therapy for cancer-related bleeding

Abstract

Radiation therapy has long been used to treat the cessation of cancer-related bleeding. The von Willebrand factor (vWF) plasma level has a major role in initiating platelet adhesion in hemostasis. This study investigated the changes in bleeding response before and after irradiation, the difference in the vWF plasma levels before and after irradiation, and the correlation between the vWF plasma level and bleeding response. Subjects were 23 patients with cancer-related bleeding who received hemostatic irradiation and met other inclusion criteria. Blood samples were taken before and after hemostatic irradiation to examine the vWF plasma levels and the World Health Organization (WHO) bleeding scale score. Two patients died during the study because of the bleeding. The success rate of hemostatic irradiation in stopping bleeding was 91.3%. Hemostatic irradiation significantly decreased the WHO bleeding scale score and significantly increased the vWF plasma level. The increased vWF plasma level was significantly correlated with the decreased WHO bleeding scale score before and after irradiation. Hemostatic irradiation is effective in stopping cancer-related bleeding and has become the preferred modality for the treatment of cancer-related bleeding.