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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) often complicates cancer and is related to patient performance status, tumor stage, and treatment. Many chemotherapeutic agents increase the risk for VTE, even in ambulatory outpatients. However, whether prophylactic anticoagulation diminishes VTE risk during chemotherapy is unclear.
To address this issue, an international team of investigators conducted an industry-supported, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 3212 patients who were beginning to receive chemotherapy for cancers typically associated with an increased risk for VTE; 36% of patients had lung cancer, and 28.9% had colorectal cancer. Most tumors (66%) were metastatic; the remaining tumors were locally advanced. Patients with …