Cancer-Associated Thrombosis

Thrombosis was identified as a complication of cancer by Trousseau in 1865, and the combination of the two conditions is still often called Trousseau's syndrome. Arterial and, more commonly, venous thrombosis is a frequent complication of cancer and sometimes a harbinger of occult cancer. Moreover, the use of new and aggressive therapy for cancer increases the risk of thrombosis.There are many causes of thrombosis in cancer. Cancer itself is often the underlying mechanism. When cells of the monocyte or macrophage lineage interact with malignant cells, they release tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6, causing endothelial damage and sloughing of . . .