International researchers have found people with invasive cancer face an elevated risk of experiencing a stroke, especially in the first few months after diagnosis and with certain types of cancer. The team looked at the incidence of stroke within one year of invasive cancer diagnosis in over 180,000 adults aged over 40. Overall they found 80% more strokes in patients with cancer than expected, compared with the general population. The risk peaked during the first three months after diagnosis, with patients having a 2.5-times-higher stroke rate than the general population. The highest stroke rates occurred in patients with pancreatic cancer and lung cancer. Breast and prostate cancers were not linked to a higher risk. Stroke risk appeared especially elevated in younger patients and those with advanced cancer.
Stroke risk may be higher after cancer diagnosis in certain patients
