Mechanisms Behind the Inhibiting Effect of Tranexamic Acid on Tumour Growth and Spread

Abstract

An inhibiting effect of antifibrinolytic drugs on tumour growth and spread has been found in several experimental studies (Rudenstam, 1967; Peterson, 1968; Hagmar, 1970; Verloes et al., 1978). Similar observations have also recently been reported in clinical studies with tranexamic acid — Cyklokapron^R, Kabi, Sweden — (Åstedt et al., 1977 a,b; Bramsen, 1978). In early experimental studies a significant inhibition of the growth rate and spontaneous pulmonary metastasis formation of transplantable mouse tumours was found after administration of tranexamic acid (Peterson, 1968). The inhibiting effect on spontaneous metastases by tranexamic acid was at variance with many previous studies in which an enhancing effect of antifibrinolytic drugs on the metastasis formation from intravenously injected tumour cells had been reported (see Peterson, 1977). One explanation of the inhibiting effect of tranexamic acid on spontaneous metastases was a pronounced inhibition of tumour cell shedding from the primary tumour overshadowing an enhancing effect of tranexamic acid on tumour cell lodgement in the lungs.