News Details
NCCN Updates Supportive Care Guidelines for VTE
NCCN recently updated the NCCN Guidelines for Venous Thromboembolic Disease, which includes both deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and is a common condition in people with cancer. Noted updates include the expanded use of graduated compression stockings in prophylaxis and treatment, and a strengthened recommendation for VTE prophylaxis in general.
May 20, 2009
FORT WASHINGTON, PA — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) announces new updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ for Venous Thromboembolic Disease. These changes reflect leading developments in the treatment of patients with cancer and represent the standard of clinical policy in oncology in both community and academic settings.
The NCCN Guidelines for Venous Thromboembolic Disease are one of the NCCN Guidelines for Supportive Care. Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), commonly known as “economy class syndrome”, includes both deep venous Thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and is a common and life-threatening condition in people with cancer. The incidence of cancer-related VTE is further increased by additional risk factors such as thrombophilic mutations, prolonged immobilization, surgical procedures, and chemotherapeutic regimens.
Noteworthy updates to the NCCN Guidelines for Venous Thromboembolic Disease include a recommendation for the use of graduated compression stockings as inpatient prophylaxis, as well as a treatment for patients with central DVT who are tolerating anticoagulation treatment.
For patients in high-risk settings (e.g. those receiving highly thrombotic antiangiogenic therapy), the NCCN Guidelines strengthened the recommendation for VTE prophylaxis from ‘consider’ to ‘recommend’. For patients with active cancer or persistent risk factors in the chronic VTE setting, the updated NCCN Guidelines also strengthened the suggestion for indefinite anticoagulation therapy from ‘consider’ to ‘recommend’.
NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ are developed and updated through an evidence-based process with explicit review of the scientific evidence integrated with expert judgment by multidisciplinary panels of physicians from NCCN Member Institutions. The most recent version of this and all the NCCN Guidelines are available free of charge at NCCN.org.