Hematologist Chris Holmes, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine

(AUGUST 16, 2023) Hematologist Chris Holmes, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, helped write a recent study that found an anticoagulant pill was just as effective as self-administered blood thinner injections at preventing deadly blood clots in cancer patients, according to WCAX-TV.

For some cancer patients with deadly blood clots, the standard of care has been for patients to give themselves injections with a blood thinner twice a day, sometimes for six months or even the rest of their lives. But research from the UVM Medical Center shows that an anticoagulant pill is an equally safe but less-painful alternative.

“It is a game-changer because if you have cancer, you want options and you want quality of life,” Holmes said. “We all wanted this. We wanted them to be able to take the pill but we needed the data to prove that yes, you can take the pill and it will be equally effective as the shot.”