Long-term steroid use before brain tumor surgery is linked to more lung blood clots
Original title: Association between preoperative chronic steroid use and pulmonary embolism in adult tumor craniotomy: Linking role of platelet-to-white blood cell ratio.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was a look back at records of people who already had surgery, not a test of a treatment.
The short version
Adults who took steroids for a long time before brain tumor surgery had lung blood clots more often afterward.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at records of 15,274 adults who had surgery to remove a brain tumor. They checked who had been taking steroids long term before surgery, and who had a blood clot in the lungs in the 30 days after surgery.
What they found. Long-term steroid use before surgery was found in 15.18% of patients, which was 2,319 people. After surgery, 1.41% of all patients had a lung clot, which was 215 people. The rate was 2.37% in the steroid users and 1.24% in those who did not use steroids. The researchers also found that a blood test comparing platelets to white blood cells seemed to explain part of the link.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If you take steroids before brain tumor surgery, your care team may watch you more closely for clots. Steroids are often given for a reason, such as controlling swelling. This study does not say anyone should stop them. It is a fair thing to ask your own doctor about, along with what is done to prevent clots.
What it doesn't mean: This does not prove that steroids cause lung clots. The researchers looked back at records that were already collected. Other differences between the two groups could explain some of what they saw. Most people in this study did not have a clot. This is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure or a promise of one. The authors say more studies are needed to confirm it.
Source: PubMed, August 4, 2026 · Read the original
This plain-language summary was written by AI and published automatically after passing our automatic safety checks. How we write.