Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Study of Dalteparin Prophylaxis in High-Risk Ambulatory Cancer Patients
Brief Summary: Some cancer patients starting a new chemotherapy regimen are likely to develop blood clots, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). Blood clots can cause symptoms and can occasionally be life-threatening. The purpose of this study is to determine if a daily injection of a blood-thinner, dalteparin, for 12 weeks can safely and effectively reduce the frequency of blood clots. Dalteparin is currently approved for prevention of blood clots following surgery and in hospitalized patients but not specifically for cancer outpatients.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients 18 years old or older, of either sex, with a diagnosis of limited small cell lung cancer.
2. Patients with an ECOG functional state less than or equal to 2.
3. Informed consent to participate in the study.
4. Patients with a platelet count above 100,000/microlitre with no hemorrhagic symptomatology.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Curative or palliative surgery as the initial treatment of their neoplastic condition.
2. Patients with an active hemorrhage in the past two months, organic lesions susceptible to bleeding (e.g. active peptic ulcer, hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident, aneurysms), history of clinically evident hemorrhagic episodes, major surgery in the past month, outstanding clinically hemoptysis or an increased risk of bleeding due to any homeostatic alteration that contraindicates anticoagulant therapy.
3. Known hypersensitivity to LMWH, heparin or substances of porcine origin.
4. Patients with hypersensitivity to the chemotherapeutic agents used in this protocol that makes it impossible to use the antitumoral regime indicated in this protocol (cisplatin or carboplatin and etoposide), i.e. hypersensitivity to cisplatin and carboplatin or hypersensitivity to etoposide.
5. Patients with congenital or acquired bleeding diathesis.
6. Damage to/ or surgical interventions of the central nervous system, eyes and ears within the past 6 months.
7. Acute bacterial endocarditis or slow endocarditis.
8. Patients with a history of heparin-associated thrombocytopenia or with a current platelet count \< 100,000/mm3
9. Patients with severe renal failure (serum creatinine over 2 mg/dl) or hepatic insufficiency (with values of AST and/or ALT \> 5 times the normal value established in the reference range of the local hospital laboratory).
10. Severe arterial hypertension (systolic blood pressure over 200 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure above 120 mmHg).
11. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or with the possibility of becoming pregnant during the study.
12. Patients with suspected inability/or inability to comply with treatment and/or complete the study.
13. Patients who are participating in another clinical trial or have done so in the past 30 days.
14. Patients with a life expectancy less than 3 months.
15. Patients on treatment with anticoagulants or who have been on treatment during three months before the diagnosis of the tumor.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* A histologic diagnosis of malignancy;
* At planned initiation of a new systemic chemotherapy regimen (including patients starting on first chemotherapy or patients previously treated but starting on a new regimen);
* A risk score for VTE ≥3 \[assign score of 2 for very high risk sites of cancer (stomach, pancreas), score of 1 for high risk site (lung, lymphoma, gynecologic, bladder, testicular) and score of 0 for all other sites\], hemoglobin \<10 g/dL or planned use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents, platelet count ≥350,000/mm3, total leukocyte count \> 11,000/mm3 or body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m2\]. Any counts meeting criteria drawn within 2 weeks prior to enrollment are considered acceptable.
* Age 18 years or older
* Provide written, informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Active bleeding or at high risk of serious bleeding complication in the opinion of the investigator
* Diagnosis of primary brain tumor multiple myeloma, leukemia, or myelodysplastic syndrome
* Planned stem cell transplant
* Life expectancy \< 6 months
* Known allergy to heparin or LMWH
* Patient or caregiver incapable of daily self-injection
* Acute or chronic renal insufficiency with creatinine clearance \< 30 mL/min
* History of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
* Allergy to contrast agents
* Pregnancy
* Need for anticoagulant therapy
* Platelet count \< 75,000/mm3
C: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Hospitalized medical patients 70 years of age or older
2. Acute medical illness with significant decrease in mobility expected for at least 4 days (patient bedridden or only able to walk short distances)
3. written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. immobilization longer than 3 days prior to randomization
2. prior major surgery, trauma or invasive procedure within the last 4 weeks including any injuries or operation of central nervous system
3. expected major surgical or invasive procedure within the next 3 weeks after randomization
4. LMWH/heparin administration longer than 48 hours in the 5 days prior to randomization
5. immobilization due to cast or fracture
6. indication for anticoagulatory or thrombolytic therapy
7. acute symptomatic DVT / PE
8. known hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs or drugs with similar chemical structures
9. Acute or history of heparin induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II)

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply
D: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic or locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

  * Patients with clinical 'high probability' of pancreatic cancer and biopsy suggestive but not diagnostic of pancreatic cancer may be eligible based on review by the principal investigator
* Measurable or evaluable disease
* No clinical evidence of active venous thromboembolism

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Karnofsky performance status (PS) 60-100% OR WHO PS 0-2
* Life expectancy \> 12 weeks
* Absolute neutrophil count \> 2,000/mm³
* WBC \> 3,000/mm³
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³
* Creatinine clearance \> 50 mL/min
* INR ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin \< 1.5 times ULN (stent allowed)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No cerebrovascular accident within the past 6 months
* No obvious contraindication to anticoagulation, including the following:

  * Bleeding diathesis
  * Active peptic ulcer
  * Ulcerating cancer into duodenum
* No history of other advanced malignancy
* No gross hematuria
* No melaena or gross evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding (other than piles)
* No requirement for a central line
* No other significant medial or psychiatric illness that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior gemcitabine hydrochloride-containing treatment
* No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy (excluding contraceptives and replacement steroids), or experimental medications
* No other concurrent specific anticancer therapy as a result of disease progression
* No concurrent caval filter device
* No other concurrent anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism or other reasons (e.g., atrial fibrillation)
* No concurrent acetylsalicylic acid (\> 75 mg) as an antiplatelet drug for a preexisting cardiovascular condition
* No concurrent clopidogrel bisulfate

Answer: B