Best Practice & Research Clinical Haematology
Volume 22, Issue 1 , Pages 93-101 , March 2009

Treatment of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients

  • Agnes Y.Y. Lee, MD, MSc, FRCPC (Associate Professor)

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationDiamond Health Care Centre, 2775 Laurel Street, 10th Floor, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada. Tel.: +1 604 875 4952; Fax: +1 604 875 4696.

References 

  1. Khorana AA, Francis CW, Culakova E, et al. Thromboembolism is a leading cause of death in cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy. J Thromb Haemost. 2007;5:632–634
  2. Lee AY. Epidemiology and management of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer. Thromb Res. 2003;110:167–172
  3. Stein PD, Beemath A, Meyers FA, et al. Incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients hospitalized with cancer. Am J Med. 2006;119:60–68
  4. Hutten BA, Prins MH, Gent M, et al. Incidence of recurrent thromboembolic and bleeding complications among patients with venous thromboembolism in relation to both malignancy and achieved international normalized ratio: a retrospective analysis. J Clin Oncol. 2000;18:3078–3083
  5. Prandoni P, Lensing AWA, Piccioli A, et al. Recurrent venous thromboembolism and bleeding complications during anticoagulant treatment in patients with cancer and venous thrombosis. Haemostasis. 2000;30(Suppl. 1):58
  6. van Dongen CJ, van den Belt AG, Prins MH, et al. Fixed dose subcutaneous low molecular weight heparins versus adjusted dose unfractionated heparin for venous thromboembolism. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;4:CD001100
  7. Warkentin TE, Greinacher A, Koster A, et al. Treatment and prevention of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (8th edition). Chest. 2008;133(Suppl.):340S–380S
  8. Hirsh J, Bauer KA, Donati MB, et al. Parenteral anticoagulants: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (8th edition). Chest. 2008;133(Suppl.):141S–159S
  9. Kearon C, Ginsberg JS, Julian JA, et al. Comparison of fixed-dose weight-adjusted unfractionated heparin and low-molecular-weight heparin for acute treatment of venous thromboembolism. JAMA. 2006;296:935–942
  10. Buller HR, Davidson BL, Decousus H, et al. Subcutaneous fondaparinux versus intravenous unfractionated heparin in the initial treatment of pulmonary embolism. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1695–1702
  11. Buller HR, Davidson BL, Decousus H, et al. Fondaparinux or enoxaparin for the initial treatment of symptomatic deep venous thrombosis: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:867–873
  12. Levine M, Gent M, Hirsh J, et al. A comparison of low-molecular-weight heparin administered primarily at home with unfractionated heparin administered in the hospital for proximal deep-vein thrombosis. N Engl J Med. 1996;334:677–681
  13. Koopman MM, Prandoni P, Piovella F, et al. Treatment of venous thrombosis with intravenous unfractionated heparin administered in the hospital as compared with subcutaneous low- molecular-weight heparin administered at home. The Tasman Study Group. [published erratum appears in N Engl J Med 1997;337:1251] N Engl J Med. 1996;334:682–687
  14. Columbus Investigators . Low-molecular-weight heparin in the treatment of patients with venous thromboembolism. The Columbus Investigators. N Engl J Med. 1997;337:657–662
  15. Merli G, Spiro TE, Olsson CG, et al. Subcutaneous enoxaparin once or twice daily compared with intravenous unfractionated heparin for treatment of venous thromboembolic disease. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134:191–202
  16. Wells PS, Kovacs MJ, Bormanis J, et al. Expanding eligibility for outpatient treatment of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism with low-molecular-weight heparin: a comparison of patient self-injection with homecare injection. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158:1809–1812
  17. Harrison L, McGinnis J, Crowther M, et al. Assessment of outpatient treatment of deep-vein thrombosis with low-molecular-weight heparin. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158:2001–2003
  18. O'Shaughnessy D, Miles J, Wimperis J. UK patients with deep-vein thrombosis can be safely treated as out-patients. QJM. 2000;93:663–667
  19. Ageno W, Steidl L, Marchesi C, et al. Selecting patients for home treatment of deep vein thrombosis: the problem of cancer. Haematologica. 2002;87:286–291
  20. Avritscher EB, Cantor SB, Shih YC, et al. Cost-minimization analysis of low-molecular-weight heparin (dalteparin) compared to unfractionated heparin for inpatient treatment of cancer patients with deep venous thrombosis. Support Care Cancer. 2004;12:531–536
  21. Kearon C, Kahn SR, Agnelli G, et al. Antithrombotic therapy for venous thromboembolic disease: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (8th edition). Chest. 2008;133(Suppl.):454S–545S
  22. Prandoni P, Lensing AW, Piccioli A, et al. Recurrent venous thromboembolism and bleeding complications during anticoagulant treatment in patients with cancer and venous thrombosis. Blood. 2002;100:3484–3488
  23. Noble SI, Hood K, Finlay IG. The use of long-term low-molecular weight heparin for the treatment of venous thromboembolism in palliative care patients with advanced cancer: a case series of sixty two patients. Palliat Med. 2007;21:473–476
  24. Gates S, Brocklehurst P, Davis LJ. Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolic disease in pregnancy and the early postnatal period. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;2:CD001689
  25. Rodger MA, Kahn SR, Cranney A, et al. Long-term dalteparin in pregnancy not associated with a decrease in bone mineral density: substudy of a randomized controlled trial. J Thromb Haemost. 2007;5:1600–1606
  26. Lee AY, Levine MN, Baker RI, et al. Low-molecular-weight heparin versus a coumarin for the prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:146–153
  27. Meyer G, Marjanovic Z, Valcke J, et al. Comparison of low-molecular-weight heparin and warfarin for the secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer: a randomized controlled study. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:1729–1735
  28. Deitcher SR, Kessler CM, Merli G, et al. Secondary prevention of venous thromboembolic events in patients with active cancer: enoxaparin alone versus initial enoxaparin followed by warfarin for a 180-day period. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2006;12:389–396
  29. Hull RD, Pineo GF, Brant RF, et al. Long-term low-molecular-weight heparin versus usual care in proximal-vein thrombosis patients with cancer. Am J Med. 2006;119:1062–1072
  30. Monreal M, Zacharski L, Jimenez JA, et al. Fixed-dose low-molecular-weight heparin for secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with disseminated cancer: a prospective cohort study. J Thromb Haemost. 2004;2:1311–1315
  31. Baglin TP, Keeling DM, Watson HG. Guidelines on oral anticoagulation (warfarin): third edition – 2005 update. Br J Haematol. 2006;132:277–285
  32. Wagman LD, Baird MF, Bennett CL, et al. Venous thromboembolic disease. Clinical practice guidelines in oncology. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2006;4:838–869
  33. Lyman GH, Khorana AA, Falanga A, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline: recommendations for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and treatment in patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:5490–5505
  34. Buller HR, Cohen AT, Davidson B, et al. Idraparinux versus standard therapy for venous thromboembolic disease. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:1094–1104
  35. Buller HR, Cohen AT, Davidson B, et al. Extended prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism with idraparinux. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:1105–1112
  36. Decousus H, Leizorovicz A, Parent F, et al. A clinical trial of vena caval filters in the prevention of pulmonary embolism in patients with proximal deep-vein thrombosis. Prevention du Risque d'Embolie Pulmonaire par Interruption Cave Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1998;338:409–415
  37. PREPIC Investigators . Eight-year follow-up of patients with permanent vena cava filters in the prevention of pulmonary embolism: the PREPIC (Prevention du Risque d'Embolie Pulmonaire par Interruption Cave) randomized study. Circulation. 2005;112:416–422
  38. Elting LS, Escalante CP, Cooksley C, et al. Outcomes and cost of deep venous thrombosis among patients with cancer. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:1653–1661
  39. Goerner A. The influence of anticlotting agents on transplantation and growth of tumour tissue. J Lab Clin Med. 1930;16:369–372
  40. Lebeau B, Chastang C, Brechot JM, et al. Subcutaneous heparin treatment increases survival in small cell lung cancer. “Petites Cellules” Group. Cancer. 1994;74:38–45
  41. Elias EG, Shukla SK, Mink IB. Heparin and chemotherapy in the management of inoperable lung carcinoma. Cancer. 1975;36:129–136
  42. Chahinian AP, Propert KJ, Ware JH, et al. A randomized trial of anticoagulation with warfarin and of alternating chemotherapy in extensive small-cell lung cancer by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B. J Clin Oncol. 1989;7:993–1002
  43. Zacharski LR, Henderson WG, Rickles FR, et al. Effect of warfarin on survival in small cell carcinoma of the lung. Veterans Administration Study No. 75. JAMA. 1981;245:831–835
  44. Altinbas M, Coskun HS, Er O, et al. A randomized clinical trial of combination chemotherapy with and without low-molecular-weight heparin in small cell lung cancer. J Thromb Haemost. 2004;2:1266–1271
  45. Klerk CP, Smorenburg SM, Otten HM, et al. The effect of low molecular weight heparin on survival in patients with advanced malignancy. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:2130–2135
  46. Kakkar AK, Levine MN, Kadziola Z, et al. Low molecular weight heparin therapy with dalteparin and survival in advanced cancer: the Fragmin Advanced Malignancy Outcome Study (FAMOUS). J Clin Oncol. 2004;22:1944–1948
  47. Maurer LH, Herndon JE, Hollis DR, et al. Randomized trial of chemotherapy and radiation therapy with or without warfarin for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: a Cancer and Leukemia Group B study. J Clin Oncol. 1997;15:3378–3387
  48. Sideras K, Schaefer PL, Okuno SH, et al. Low-molecular-weight heparin in patients with advanced cancer: a phase 3 clinical trial. Mayo Clin Proc. 2006;81:758–767
  49. Zacharski LR, Henderson WG, Rickles FR, et al. Effect of warfarin anticoagulation on survival in carcinoma of the lung, colon, head and neck, and prostate. Final report of VA Cooperative Study #75. Cancer. 1984;53:2046–2052
  50. Kuderer NM, Khorana AA, Lyman GH, et al. A meta-analysis and systematic review of the efficacy and safety of anticoagulants as cancer treatment: impact on survival and bleeding complications. Cancer. 2007;110:1149–1161
  51. Lazo-Langner A, Goss GD, Spaans JN, et al. The effect of low-molecular-weight heparin on cancer survival. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. J Thromb Haemost. 2007;5:729–737

PII: S1521-6926(08)00102-3

doi: 10.1016/j.beha.2008.11.001

Best Practice & Research Clinical Haematology
Volume 22, Issue 1 , Pages 93-101 , March 2009