Rationale for Therapy
The most common indications for initiating therapy included extent of
disease (n=87, 54.7%), coagulopathy (n=65, 40.9%), pain (n=61,
38.4%), and thrombocytopenia (n=59, 37.1%). Reported range for
thrombocytopenia for patients starting medical therapy for this
indication was 3,000-107,000/uL. Patients with KMP were more likely to
have initiated therapy for coagulopathy, anemia, thrombocytopenia,
cardiac dysfunction, and airway compression (Table 2). Pain and cosmesis
were more likely to prompt therapy initiation for patients without KMP.
Other reasons for treatment initiation included avoidance of
scarring/contracture, rapid tumor growth, coagulopathy, functional
impairment, hypertension (compression of renal vasculature), high
output-cardiac failure, airway involvement, proximity to critical
structures, and pleural and pericardial effusions.