Cancer prognosis in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and patients with clinical and laboratory biomarkers predictive of VTE risk.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a well-documented complication of cancer and its treatment. While VTE contributes significant morbidity and some thrombotic mortality to cancer patients, a growing body of clinical and experimental data supports the finding that VTE is an important prognostic marker for cancer progression and mortality. This would suggest that hemostatic activation is an expression of an aggressive tumor phenotype. A number of clinical and laboratory biomarkers have been shown to be predictive of an increased risk of cancer-associated VTE. In addition, it is now becoming apparent that these same biomarkers are also predictive of cancer mortality. The application of this information to reduce cancer-associated VTE and improve cancer survival await the results of ongoing prophylaxis antithrombotic studies.