Table 6.
Summary of Findings: low molecular weight heparin compared to unfractionated heparin for the initial treatment of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer.
| Patient or population: patients with the initial treatment of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer Settings: Inpatient or outpatient Intervention: LMWH Comparison: UFH | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcomesb | Illustrative comparative risksa (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No. of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | |
| Assumed risk UFH |
Corresponding risk LMWH |
||||
|
| |||||
| Death at 3 months Follow-up: median 3 months |
189 per 1000 | 134 per 1000 (98 to 186) | RR 0.71 (0.52 to 0.98) | 801 (11 studies) | Low |
| Recurrent VTE Follow-up: median 3 months |
96 per 1000 | 75 per 1000 (28 to 200) | RR 0.78 (0.29 to 2.08) | 371 (3 studies) | Low |
CI: Confidence interval; LMWH: low molecular weight heparin; RR: Risk ratio; VTE: venous thromboembolism; UFH: unfractionated heparin; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation.
a
The corresponding risk (and its 95% CI) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
b
Data on major bleeding, post-phlebitic syndrome and thrombocytopenia were not reported. There is indirect evidence that both LMWH and UFH increase the risk of major bleeding compared with no anticoagulation.