Cancer related venous thromboembolism - prophylaxis and therapy

Abstract

Cancer is a highly thrombophilic entity leading to a high rate of symptomatic and even asymptomatic venous thromboembolic (VTE) events in patients suffering from malignant disease. As VTE events have impact on survival and can be reduced significantly by anticoagulant treatment, guidelines on prophylaxis of these events by means of anticoagulation exist from various societies. Purpose of this review is to give a concise overview of current possibilities for prophylaxis and also for the therapy of VTE events in cancer patients.