title: The humanistic and economic burden of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients: a systematic review.
abstract: The objective of this study was to present evidence on the epidemiology, health outcomes and economic burden of cancer-related venous thromboembolism (VTE). Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Econlit, Science Direct, JSTOR, Oxford Journals and Cambridge Journals were searched. The systematic literature search was limited to manuscripts published from January 2000 to December 2012. On the basis of the literature, cancer patients experience between two-fold and 20-fold higher risk of developing VTE than noncancer patients. They are more likely to experience a VTE event during the first 3-6 months after cancer diagnosis. In addition, an increased risk of VTE in patients with distant metastases and certain types of cancer (i.e. pancreatic or lung) was revealed. VTE was found to be a leading cause of mortality in cancer patients. The annual average total cost for cancer patients with VTE was found to be almost 50% higher than that of cancer patients without VTE. Inpatient care costs accounted for more than 60% of total cost. The existing evidence assessed in the present review demonstrated the significant health and economic consequences of cancer-related VTE, which make a strong case for the importance of its proper and efficient prevention and management.
authors.affiliation: aThe Stavros Niarchos Foundation-Collaborative Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Outcomes Research (CLEO), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine bDepartment of Health Services Organisation& Management, National School of Public Health, Athens cCorporate Affairs & Market Access, LEO Pharmaceutical Products Hellas S.A., Athens, Greece, dPatient Access, Global Patient Solutions Thrombosis, LEO Pharma A/S, Ballerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kourlaba
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Relakis
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mylonas
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kapaki
authors.forename: Stathis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kontodimas
authors.forename: Majbrit V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maniadakis
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000191:economics* / Q000473:pathology