[Venous thrombosis on central catheters in oncology]

Central venous catheters have considerably improved the comfort and safety of chemotherapy in cancer patients. However complications as thrombosis could occur and their incidence vary from 3.7 to 42% in oncology. Catheter placement induces modifications of vascular system with formation of a fibrin sleeve and/or a mural thrombus. Thrombosis origin is linked with catheter itself, its position and the biomaterial used. Hypercoagulable state in cancer results from the perturbation of blood flow, the composition of blood itself and the vessel wall, and increases the iatrogenic effects of indwelling catheters. Finally chemotherapy used in the treatment of cancer has been associated with an increased incidence of thromboembolic events, suggesting the proposal of an antithrombotic prophylaxis in cancer patients receiving chemotherapeutic agents through indwelling catheter.