How well do European patients understand cancer-associated thrombosis? A patient survey

Awareness of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Cancer and Their Carers: Protocol for Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

There is an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) for people living with cancer. However, the awareness of VTE in this population or their carers appears to be low. This lack of awareness may lead to poor outcomes, such as VTE due to low adherence to thromboprophylaxis or delayed hospital presentations with neglected VTE symptoms. This study protocol will guide researchers in conducting a systematic review of existing studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) which have assessed VTE awareness among patients living with cancer or their carers. It will also investigate the rates and predictors of VTE awareness in those populations.

METHODS

This protocol was designed following the PRISMA-P 2015 statement and the methodological guidance from the PRISMA 2020 statement. Six databases (APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection) will be searched to retrieve all eligible studies. Covidence software will be utilized to assist in the screening of studies for eligibility. A standard data extraction form will be used, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) will be used to assess the methodological quality of each included study. Both a qualitative descriptive approach and meta-analysis will be used for data synthesis and integration where possible. The protocol has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42025628429).

Care pathways for patients with cancer-associated thrombosis: From diagnosis to long-term follow-up

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with cancer is associated with a high risk of bleeding complications and hospitalisation, as well as with increased mortality. Good practice recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of VTE in patients with cancer have been developed by a number of professional bodies. Although these guidelines provide consistent recommendations on what treatment should be offered to patients presenting with cancer-associated thromboembolism (CAT), many questions remain unanswered, in particular about the modalities of management (Who? When? Where?) and, for this reason, we have developed a consensus proposal for an appropriate multidisciplinary care pathway for patients with CAT, which is presented in this article. The proposal was informed by the recent scientific literature retrieved through a systematic literature review. This proposal is centred on the development of a shared care plan individualised to each patient's needs and expectations, patient information and shared decision-making to promote adherence, involvement of all relevant hospital- and community- based healthcare providers in the development and implementation of the care plan, and regular re-evaluation of the treatment strategy.

Multidisciplinary Care for the Prevention and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Cancer-Associated Thrombosis (CAT): Impact of Educational Interventions on CAT-Related Events and on Patients' and Clinicians' Awareness

Cancer is a leading cause of death. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an often-overlooked cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients that can be readily prevented and treated. Actions are needed to reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients with cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT). There is a need to increase awareness of the impact of CAT on cancer patients' morbidity and mortality, on their quality of life and to understand the importance of more effective preventions and treatments of VTE in cancer patients. Moreover, it is of great importance to systematically assess the risk of VTE in regard to patients, cancer and treatment-related factors. Unfortunately, there are unmet clinical needs in the prevention and treatment of cancer-associated VTE. In this review, we discuss an action plan to ensure an increased awareness of and education on the issues that need to be addressed in order to improve the provision of appropriate prevention, early diagnosis and effective and safe treatment of VTE to all cancer patients and, ultimately, to reduce morbidity and mortality.