Journal of Cancer Science and Clinical Therapeutics. Journal of Cancer Science and Clinical Therapeutics 5 : DOI: Background and objectives: Few data are available about anticoagulation management beyond 6 months in patients with cancer associated thrombosis CAT. Our objective was to describe anticoagulant treatment modalities up to 12 months.
Methods: The management of the anticoagulant treatment beyond 6 months was described in this initially retrospective non-interventional French multicenter study in patients treated with low-molecular-weight heparins LMWH still alive at the end of an initial 6-month treatment period.
Clinical outcomes, including venous thromboembolism, recurrence, bleeding and deaths have been published previously.
Results: Among the patients mean age At 6 months, anticoagulant therapy was stopped in 74 patients, 56 were switched to vitamin K antagonists VKA LMWHs were maintained in patients During the follow-up, LMWHs were definitively discontinued in 86 patients Conclusion: Anticoagulation beyond 6 months and up to 12 months was in accordance with clinical practice guidelines suggesting that treatment should be continued as long cancer is active or in the absence of bleeding risk.
The risk of venous thromboembolism VTE in patients with cancer is 7-fold higher compared to patients without cancer [1]. Managing patients with CAT represents a significant challenge since they are at higher risk of both VTE recurrence and major bleeding compared to patients without cancer [2, 3].
