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Review
. 2010 Jun;125(6):490-3.
doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2009.12.023. Epub 2010 Jan 25.

Venous thromboembolism and prognosis in cancer

Alok A Khorana  1
Affiliations
Review

Venous thromboembolism and prognosis in cancer

Alok A Khorana. Thromb Res. 2010 Jun.

Abstract

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication of malignancy, and its incidence has increased markedly in recent years. VTE itself can directly lead to patient mortality, and is the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer. Furthermore, emerging data suggest that activation of coagulation in malignancy is integrally linked with tumor biology, particularly with angiogenesis. The development of the clinical hypercoagulable state is also linked with adverse prognosis in patients with cancer, including patients receiving systemic chemotherapy. This review focuses on the clinical evidence documenting a link between VTE and adverse short-term and long-term prognosis in patients with cancer.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Thromboembolism and Outpatient Mortality
Causes of death in 4,466 cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Thromboembolism And Inpatient Mortality
Presence of venous thromboembolism was significantly associated with increased inpatient mortality (P <0.0001) over the duration of study. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals. (From Khorana AA et al8).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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