Table 1.
Examples of VTE risk factors in patients with cancer by risk factor group3–12
| Tumour-related factors | Treatment-related factors |
| Site of cancer (eg, lung, gastric, ovarian) | Anti-angiogenic agents (eg, thalidomide, lenalidomide) |
| Histological stage (I–IV) | Hormonal therapies (eg, tamoxifen) |
| Cancer stage (localised, regional, distant) | Chemotherapy agents (eg, gemcitabine or platinum-based therapies) |
| Time since diagnosis | Cancer surgery |
| Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents | |
| Erythrocyte and platelet transfusions | |
| Central venous catheters | |
| Prolonged hospitalisation | |
| Patient-related factors | Biomarkers |
| Genetic factors (eg, hereditary thrombophilia) | Blood related (eg, levels of platelets, haemoglobin, leucocytes) |
| Medical illnesses/comorbidities | Platelet and clotting activation related (D-dimer, soluble P-selectin, prothrombin fragment 1+2, thrombin generation) |
| Very high or very low body weight | Clotting factor-related (eg, FVIII, CRP) |
| Prior VTE | NET formation (eg, citrullinated histone H3) |
| Varicose veins | TF-MP* |
| Age and gender | Podoplanin† |
| CCL3 | |
| sVEGF |
*Association between elevated TF-MP activity and future VTE has been observed only in patients with pancreatic cancer.
†Association between podoplanin expression and occurrence of VTE has been shown only in patients with brain cancer.
CCL3, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3; CRP, C reactive protein; FVIII, factor VIII; NET, neutrophil extracellular trap; sVEGF, soluble vascular endothelial growth factor; TF-MP, tissue factor bearing microparticles; VTE, venous thromboembolism.