title: Incidental venous thromboembolic events in cancer patients: what we know in 2016.
abstract: Cancer patients are at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Previous reports on the epidemiology and incident of thrombotic complications in cancer patients are based upon documented symptomatic events. However, the frequent use of contrast enhanced computerized tomography for cancer staging has documented a high incidence of unsuspected venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) and abdominal visceral thrombosis in cancer patients. Recent studies focusing on the findings of incidental PE when compared to symptomatic PE find no significant difference in pulmonary distribution of clots, incidence of VTE recurrence or survival in these patients. Based upon these studies, current guidelines recommend treatment for incidental PE as recommended for symptomatic PE.
authors.affiliation: Jane Ann Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases, University of California-Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: liebman@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Howard A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Liebman
authors.affiliation: Jane Ann Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases, University of California-Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Casey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Connell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Cancer; Computerized tomography; Pulmonary embolism; Venous thromboembolism