Thrombophilia in Malignancy: A Review of the literature

Hypercoagulable state is a well recognized complication of malignancy. Venous thrombosis manifests mainly as deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Autopsy studies have reported increased rates of pulmonary embolism among cancer patients as compared to patients without malignancy. The risk of recurrence is also high among the cancer patients. Patients who present with an unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) are more likely to have an underlying cancer than those patients with an identifiable risk factor. 4 Concurrent VTE and cancer also increases the risk of death. The increased risk for deep venous thrombosis in cancer patients is often not considered while planning treatment.