Cancer and thrombosis: a literature review

Abstract

From Trusseau's theory on clotting to the present day, much information has been reported on blood clotting. With improved knowledge of related events using molecular, cellular, and clinical studies, there is agreement that clot production is not an isolated phenomenon, but part of a group of interrelated events that effect cell biology. Currently, this relationship between the clotting system and cells (normal and abnormal) is known to be important for the genesis and evolution of many common diseases. In this context, great attention is focused on cancer and its biology. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the new blood clotting theory and its regulation, and to demonstrate how clotting can interfere at the level of neoplastic cell biology and clinical outcome in cancer patients. The model to demonstrate the results of this effect is one of the most frequent clinical conditions, namely the development of thrombosis.