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Abstract Background Cancer patients who develop a deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism (PE) are at higher risk of death than similar cancer patients who do not develop DVT or PE. The impact of isolated superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) (i.e. without DVT or PE) on the prognosis of cancer patients is unknown. Methods Data from the OPTIMEV, multicentre, observational study, to compare at 3 years the incidences of death, DVT-PE recurrence and bleeding of cancer patients with objectively confirmed SVT vs. cancer patients with DVT (matched 1:2 on age, sex, cancer stage) and vs. patients with SVT without cancer (matched 1:3 on age and sex). Results Cancer patients with SVT (n = 34) had a high risk of death (23.2%patient-year(PY)), that was similar to that of cancer patients with DVT (aHR = 1.0[0.6–1.9]) and higher to that of SVT patients without cancer (aHR = 9.0[3.5–23.1]). Cancer patients with SVT received anticoagulants for a median duration of 45 days and had a high risk of DVT-PE recurrence (6.0%PY), similar to that of cancer patients with DVT (adjusted cause-specific HR (aCHR) = 1.5[0.4–5.8]) and higher to that of SVT patients without cancer (aCHR = 2.9[0.7–11.9]). In our population, venous thrombosis on varicose veins was associated with a lower risk of death (aHR = 0.6[0.3–1.0]) and DVT-PE recurrence (aCHR = 0.6[0.2–1.7]). Conclusion Our results suggest that cancer patients with SVT have a poor prognosis, similar to that of patients with cancer-related DVT. The high rate of DVT-PE recurrence suggests that such patients may need longer duration of anticoagulant treatment. Highlights • Cancer patients who develop VTE have a poorer prognosis than those who don't. • Long-term prognosis of cancer patients who develop SVT is unknown • Risk of death appears similar between cancer patients with SVT vs. DVT • Risk of death is twice lower in cancer patients with thrombosis in varicose veins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) has been considered for a long time a limited clinical condition with a low importance, but this approach has changed in recent years, when several studies demonstrated spreading to deep veins occurring from 7.3 to 44%, with high prevalence of pulmonary embolism. Materials and methods: To evaluate the prevalence of genetic risk factors for VTE in patients suffering from SVT on both normal and varicose vein, and to understand their role on spreading to deep veins, we studied 107 patients with SVT, without other risk factors. Ultrasound examination was performed, and the presence of FV Leiden, Prothrombin G20210A mutation, and MTHFR C677T mutation was researched. Results: In the patients where SVT occurred in normal veins, the presence of FV Leiden was 26.3% of the non-spreading and 60% of the spreading to deep veins SVT; Prothrombin mutation was found in 7.9% of the former case and in 20% of the latter; MTHFR C677T mutation was found respectively in 23.7% and 40%. In the patients with SVT on varicose veins, the presence of these factors was less evident (6.7%, 4.4% and 6.7% respectively), but their prevalence was considerably higher (35.7%, 7.4% and 21.4% respectively) in SVT spreading to deep veins than in non-spreading. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate the high prevalence of these mutations, especially FV Leiden and associations, in patients with SVT on normal veins and their role in the progression to deep vein system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]