Risk for Ischemic Stroke Increased After Cancer Diagnosis

FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Patients with a cancer diagnosis have an increased risk for ischemic stroke (IS), with risk peaking during the first three months, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in Cancer.

Carmit Libruder, from the University of Haifa in Israel, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study linking the Israel National Cancer and Stroke Registries to examine the risk for IS after cancer diagnosis. Residents aged 40 years and older diagnosed with a first invasive cancer during 2014 to 2021 were followed for first-ever IS within one year.

The researchers found that the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for IS within one year after cancer diagnosis was 1.8 among 182,221 patients. There was a peak noted in risk during the first three months (SIR, 2.5). The highest SIRs were seen for pancreatic and lung cancers (SIRs, 5.9 and 3.9, respectively). There was a decrease in SIRs with age, from 3.6 to 1.4 among adults aged 40 to 54 and aged 75 years and older, respectively. An increase in SIRs was seen with stage, from 1.2 to 2.8 in localized and metastatic disease, respectively. The cumulative incidence of IS was 0.62 over one year, ranging from 0.30 to 1.62 in breast and pancreatic cancer, respectively.

“Our findings identify the first months after a cancer diagnosis as a critical window of heightened ischemic stroke risk,” Libruder said in a statement. “The marked variation across cancer types, with particularly pronounced risk elevations in pancreatic and lung cancers, highlights the importance of identifying patients who may benefit from closer cerebrovascular risk assessment.”

One author disclosed ties to the medical device and technology industries.

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