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News
A new nationwide study from Israel found that cancer patients face nearly twice the risk of ischemic stroke in the year following diagnosis compared to the general population. The danger is sharpest in the first three months post-diagnosis. Pancreatic and lung cancer patients are most vulnerable, with stroke risks up to six times higher than the general population.
A large retrospective cohort study published in Cancer analyzed over 182,000 Israeli patients diagnosed with invasive cancer between 2014 and 2021, linking national cancer and stroke registries to track ischemic stroke (IS) events within one year of diagnosis. The findings reveal a striking — and time-sensitive — elevation in stroke risk following a cancer diagnosis.
Overall, cancer patients had a nearly twofold higher risk of first-ever ischemic stroke compared to the general population (SIR = 1.8). That risk was sharpest in the first three months after diagnosis (SIR = 2.5), before gradually declining — though it remained modestly elevated for up to three years. Stroke risk also climbed with cancer stage, from 1.2x in localized disease to 2.8x in metastatic cases, and was inversely related to age, with younger adults (40–54) showing the highest relative risk.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings highlight a critical, often-overlooked window in cancer care. Clinicians treating newly diagnosed cancer patients — especially those with pancreatic or lung cancer — should consider proactive cerebrovascular risk assessment early in treatment, as stroke risk is highest precisely when oncologic workup and treatment planning are consuming attention.
