Blood Clots in the Legs May Help Breast Cancer Spread to the Brain
Original title: DVT-primed neutrophils reshape the brain microenvironment to promote brain metastasis
How far along is this research?
This is a preprint. Other scientists have not checked it yet, so treat it as an early signal rather than an answer.
The patient records only show a link, and the main tests were done in mice.
The short version
Researchers found a possible link between leg blood clots and breast cancer spreading to the brain.
What was studied. Researchers looked at records from a large group of people with breast cancer that had spread. They also studied mice with a type of breast cancer called triple-negative breast cancer. They wanted to see how blood clots in deep leg veins affect cancer spreading to the brain.
What they found. In the patient records, people with these leg clots were more likely to have cancer spread to the brain. In mice, the clots made brain spread worse, but did not change the main tumor or spread to the lungs. The clots changed a type of white blood cell. These cells gathered in the brain and seemed to help the cancer grow there. When the mice had these cells removed, the clots no longer raised brain spread.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This may help doctors understand why some people with breast cancer get tumors in the brain. Someday it could point to new ways to watch for or lower this risk. If you have breast cancer and a blood clot, you can ask your doctor what this might mean for you.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a blood clot will cause cancer to spread to your brain. Most of this work was done in mice, not people. It is very early research and far from everyday care. It does not offer a new treatment, and it is not a cure. Do not change any blood clot treatment without talking to your doctor.
Source: bioRxiv (preprint), September 17, 2026 · Read the original
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