[The effect of radiotherapy on blood clotting and thrombocyteaggregation in patients with gynecological carcinomas (author's tranls)].

This is a study about changes in blood clotting and thrombocyteaggregation in 55 patients with gynecological carcinomas undergoing radiotherapy. The usual thromboembolism prophylaxis were supplemented by 10000 USP-U Heparine administered subcutaneously in 12-hour-intervals. After radiotherapy there was no change in blood clotting values, gross-thrombocyte count or in percentage of thrombocytes involved in aggregation. Aggregation velocity was significantly higher directly after radiotherapy compared to before, it reached normal values after 4 days. The increase was virtually independent of age, body weight or radio therapy dosage. The strangest increase with doubling of normal aggregation speed was found in primary insertions. Second- and third-time insertion showed only smaller increases. Subcutaneous application of Calciparin was simple and painless, in one case the medication had to be discontinued because of a bleeding in the pectoralis area. An increased bleeding tendency was not observed. Thromboembolic complications did not occur.