Characteristics and Prognostic Factors of Venous Thromboembolism in Cancer Patients

Background: Improving the prognosis of patients with malignant tumors is increasing the number of patients who develop venous thromboembolism. We examined the characteristics and prognostic factors of VTE patients with cancer. Methods: We diagnosed 725 VTE patients from April 2005 to March 2018. There were 322 cancer associated patients (CAT) and 403 non-cancer associated patients (nonCAT). We examined characteristics and prognostic factors of VTE in CAT patients. Results: There were 156 women and 166 men in CAT, and 132 women and 271 men in nonCAT. There was no significant difference in the location of proximal portion of thrombus. When locations were divided into left leg, right leg, and bilateral legs, bilateral cases were more common in CAT group. Comparing the overall survival after VTE diagnosis in the CAT group, the prognosis was poor in patients with high D-dimer level (≧6 µg/mL) along with cancer metastasis and recurrence. Conclusions: Various VTE factors predict prognosis in CAT patients, and CAT is important in the treatment of cancer patients. (This is secondary publication from Jpn J Phlebol 2020; 31(3): 153–159.)