Venous thromboembolism is a significant predictor of mortality in patients with common cancers, particularly those with metastatic disease.
The incidence of venous thromboembolism varied with cancer type and was highest among patients initially diagnosed with metastatic-stage disease. The incidence rate of thromboembolism decreased over time. Diagnosis of thromboembolism during the first year of follow-up was a significant predictor of death for most cancer types and stages analyzed. For some types of cancer, the incidence of thromboembolism was sufficiently high to warrant prospective clinical trials of primary thromboprophylaxis.
Chew et al. (Mon,) studied this question.