TXA Study in Major Oncologic Surgery

Overview

Major surgery can result in blood loss that can require a blood transfusion during and/or after surgery. Tranexamic acid is a medication that was first introduced in the 1960s as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. Over the past 20 years it has been used and studied in patients undergoing open-heart surgery, liver transplantation, and urologic surgery. We believe tranexamic acid may possibly decrease bleeding related to major surgery, resulting in reduced blood loss, lower blood transfusion rates, and possibly decreased hospital costs related to your surgical hospital stay. In this study, you will receive either the drug tranexamic acid or a placebo. The placebo looks like the tranexamic acid, but does not have any active ingredient in it. The treatment you get will be chosen by chance, like flipping a coin. You will have equal chance of being given the tranexamic acid or the placebo. In this study, both the tranexamic acid and the placebo are considered research.

Neither you nor the study doctor will choose what treatment you get. You will have an equal chance of being given the tranexamic acid or the placebo. Neither you nor the study doctor will know which treatment you are getting. You will receive one 1000 mg dose of either tranexamic acid or placebo immediately before surgery. This dose of tranexamic acid or placebo will be given in your vein over 15 minutes. Information from your medical record related to your surgery and recovery time in the hospital will be collected by medical staff assisting with this study and recorded on study forms. These study forms will be labeled with your study number instead of your name. Additionally, if you return to the hospital within 90 days after you went home from the hospital, information about that hospital visit(s) will also be collected from your medical record.