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Colorectal cancer and hypercoagulability

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Abstract

Since the first report of the spontaneous appearance of venous thrombophlebitis as a sign of visceral cancer by Trousseau in 1865, many other studies have documented the existence of cancer-associated coagulation disorders. In this review, we describe the hypercoagulable state associated with colorectal cancer, from three perspectives: first, the incidence, risk factors and prevention of clinically symptomatic thromboembolic conditions associated with cancer, such as venous thromboembolism and arterial thrombosis; second, the association between hypercoagulable conditions, such as thrombocytosis, hyperfibrinogenemia, or d-dimer elevation, and the clinical progression and poor prognosis of cancer patients; third, the experimental approach to elucidate the role of various coagulation-related factors in the process of cancer progression, focusing specifically on the role of platelets and tissue factors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Kazushige Kawai & Toshiaki Watanabe

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  1. Kazushige Kawai
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  2. Toshiaki Watanabe
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Correspondence to Toshiaki Watanabe.

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Kawai, K., Watanabe, T. Colorectal cancer and hypercoagulability. Surg Today 44, 797–803 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-013-0606-5

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