D-Dimer Measured At First Venous Thromboembolism Is Associated With Future Risk Of Cancer

Abstract

D-dimer >5000 ng/ml at incident VTE is associated with a higher risk of subsequent cancer within one and two years. High D-dimer levels are also associated with more aggressive tumor biology and poor prognosis in these patients. As D-dimer is routinely measured in the assessment of suspected VTE, it may be a useful surrogate marker for the presence of an underlying malignancy. Our findings may suggest that high plasma D-dimer at incident VTE diagnosis should be taken into consideration when the decision to screen for underlying cancer is made.