Venous thromboembolism in patients with liver cancer: a retrospective study

Little is known about the association between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and tumors. In this study, we identified the clinical features of patients with liver cancer who presented with at least 1 VTE episode. This was a retrospective case-control study of a single-institution database with univariate and multivariate analyses using χ 2 and Fisher exact tests. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. The overall incidence of VTE in the patients with liver cancer was 1.2%. More than half (53.8%) of the 13 patients with liver cancer and venous thrombosis died within 2 months. The thrombus in 12 patients (92.3%) was located within the deep veins, whereas the other patient (7.7%) was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. Of the 11 patients, 9 (69.2%) had swelling and/or pain symptoms. All 6 patients with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) had thrombosis, accounting for 46.2% of all patients with liver cancer and venous thrombosis. Compared with the controls, liver cancer patients with PICC tubes, thrombosis-related symptoms such as swelling and pain, traumatic stimulation such as fracture, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and interventional therapy or hemostasis drugs were prone to be diagnosed with VTE (P < 0.05). Liver cancer and thrombosis are rare and have poor prognoses. Liver cancer with thrombosis may be associated with PICC catheterization, traumatic stimulation, or hemostatic drugs. Patients with liver cancer and thrombosis often present with swelling and pain.