ABSTRACT

Introduction Thromboembolic disease, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), affects approximately 15% of all cancer patients and represents the second leading cause of death in cancer patients.

Etiology Various factors are associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic disease. There are no clinically reliable coagulation markers able to identify patients who may benefit from prophylaxis but some clinical parameters may indicate the thrombotic risk (Boxes 2.1 and 2.2).