ABSTRACT
Tumor growth is associated with the development of a hypercoagulable state and an increased risk of thrombosis in the host. A high incidence of thromboembolic disease in patients with cancer has been early reported by postmortem studies, particularly in patients who died of mucinous carcinoma of the pancreas, lung and gastrointestinal tract.1,2 In addition, histological analyses have shown the presence of fibrin or platelet plugs in and around many types of tumors, suggesting a local activation of coagulation.3
