[Cancer in patients with venous thromboembolic disease]

To study the characteristics of patients with venous thromboembolic disease (VTD) and cancer in our area.

Prospective observational study of all patients diagnosed by objective methods of VTD in the only hospital in a rural area from November 2002 to April 2005.

Ninety-four patients were diagnosed of VTD. The median age was 71.9 years (range 35-94 years), and 52 (55.3%) were women. The median follow-up with anticoagulant therapy was 7.1 months (range 0-29 months). Seventeen patients (18.1%) had cancer. Eleven cases (64.7%) had an adenocarcinoma, and 7 (41.2%) had distant metastases. Two (2.5%) of 79 cases without prior cancer were diagnosed of cancer after the diagnosis of VTD. The frequency of adverse events (death, major hemorrhage and thromboembolic recurrence) was higher in patients with cancer (64.7 vs. 9.1%, p < 0.001).

Almost one fifth of patients with VTD in our area had cancer, more frequently an adenocarcinoma. Cancer is infrequently diagnosed after the diagnosis of VTD. Cancer in VTD is associated to a poor prognosis, with a remarkable frequency of adverse events.