Perioperative Thrombosis Prevention in Cancer Patients

Venous thromboembolism was less common with low-molecular-weight heparins versus unfractionated heparin, but survival was unaffected.

Cancer patients are at greater risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) than are patients without cancer, and that risk is heightened when surgery is performed. Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) and unfractionated heparin (UFH) are used routinely for perioperative thrombus prevention, but the relative benefits and harms of the two anticoagulants for cancer patients undergoing surgery are unclear (Br J Surg 2001; 88:913).

To compare the efficacy and safety of LMWH versus UFH in such patients, investigators from several multinational institutions reviewed more than 160 relevant articles and selected reports of 14 randomized, controlled clinical trials that met their strict methodological criteria. Mortality data were available for …

Reviewing Author

David Green, MD, PhD

Disclosures

EquityNovartis

David Green, MD, PhD

Disclosures

EquityNovartis