Frequency of cancer in patients operated on for acute peripheral arterial thrombosis and the impact on prognosis

Objective Little is known about acute peripheral arterial thrombosis in patients with concomitant cancer. Small studies suggest that revascularization in this patient group is associated with thrombosis and increased risk of amputation and death. We investigated the frequency of cancer in patients operated on for acute peripheral arterial thrombosis and the long-term risk of amputation, mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke in a national cohort. Methods This was a prospective case/noncase study comprising all Danish citizens undergoing vascular surgery for acute arterial thrombosis from 1986 to 2012 with up to 26 years of follow-up. Results A total of 7840 patients were treated surgically for acute arterial thrombosis; 2384 (30.4%) were previously diagnosed with cancer or developed cancer during the observation period. Risk of amputation was not significantly different in patients with or without cancer, except in patients with cancer diagnosed