Prevention of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized medical cancer patients: guidance from the SSC of the ISTH

Cancer patients hospitalized for an acute medical illness are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Pharmacological thromboprophylaxis is considered standard practice for these patients and current guidelines recommend prophylactic doses of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs), unfractionated heparin (UFH), or fondaparinux in the absence of bleeding or other contraindications [1-4]. These recommendations are extrapolated from large placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of VTE thromboprophylaxis in broad mixed populations of medical inpatients, none involving exclusively cancer patients or presenting efficacy and safety data for this subgroup [5-8]. Because cancer inpatients represent a unique population with increased risk of VTE and major hemorrhage, validation of the efficacy and safety of thromboprophylaxis in this group is critical. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved