Deep-Vein Thrombosis and the Incidence of Subsequent Symptomatic Cancer

SINCE the initial observation by Trousseau in 1868 relating thrombotic phenomena to cancer, 1 numerous studies have addressed the relation between malignant disease and venous thromboembolism. An increased incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients with known cancers has been convincingly demonstrated. Thus, cohort studies of surgical patients that used mandatory objective tests to confirm the presence of postoperative venous thrombosis showed that the incidence of venous thrombosis was markedly higher in patients with malignant disorders than in patients with other (nonmalignant) diseases. 2 , 3 Furthermore, an increased risk of venous thromboembolism is suggested by the high incidence of pulmonary embolism and subclinical activation . . .