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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

A Multicenter MRI Protocol for the Evaluation and Quantification of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Published on: June 2, 2015
Occult cancer detection in venous thromboembolism: the past, the present, and the future
Faizan Khan1,2, Alvi Rahman1, Marc Carrier2,3
1School of Epidemiology, Public Health & Preventive Medicine University of Ottawa Ottawa ON Canada.
Abstract:
Unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be the first manifestation of an undiagnosed cancer. Recently published studies have suggested that approximately 4-5% of patients with new unprovoked VTE will be diagnosed with cancer within 12 months of follow-up. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to keep a low threshold of suspicion for occult cancer in this patient population. After an unprovoked VTE diagnosis, patients should undergo a thorough medical history, physical examination, basic laboratory investigations (ie, complete blood count and liver function tests), chest X-ray, as well as age- and gender-specific cancer screening (breast, cervical, colon, and prostate). More intensive cancer screening including additional investigations (eg, computed tomography of the abdomen/pelvis) does not seem to increase the rate of occult cancer detection, decrease cancer-related morbidity, or increase survival or cost-effectiveness.
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