Abstract
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major public health issue [1] and one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients with a negative impact on their quality of life [2]. It has been estimated that VTE is the second leading cause of death in hospitalized and ambulatory cancer patients [3]. Most oncologists underestimate the prevalence of VTE and its negative impact on their patients [4]. Furthermore and most important there is evidence that prophylaxis is largely underused in patients at high risk to develop VTE [5] With this background in mind the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) decided to draft recommendations for clinical practice in order to improve perceptions about the magnitude of VTE risk in patients with malignancy and to improve prophylaxis and treatment of VTE in cancer patients among medical oncologists. The ESMO clinical recommendations (CR) are organized in a narrative form. They are not designed to replace extensive clinical practice guidelines or review articles, but rather to describe common standards of care. For this purpose and for easily consultation they are organized in a pocket form. This allows their consultation during the daily clinical practice. The ESMO CR are updated annually by the ESMO Guidelines Working Group. The hierarchical process includes the nomination of the authors by a Section Editor, the supervision by the ESMO working group and the peer-review of the submitted manuscript by the ESMO faculty members. In order to encourage a multidisciplinary approach, the ESMO working group designated an oncologist and a hematologist to write the ESMO CR for the prevention and treatment of VTE in cancer patients.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call