Management of anticoagulants in the periprocedural period for patients with cancer.

Patients with cancer undergo surgeries and procedures for various purposes, including prophylaxis, diagnosis, staging, cure, debulking, palliation, and reconstruction. The diagnosis of cancer itself, along with the well-established complication of venous thromboembolism (VTE), places these patients at risk for perioperative thromboembolism. It is also well-established that continuing patients on oral anticoagulation therapy during the periprocedural period is associated with an increased risk of bleeding. Rates of periprocedural VTE and major bleeding are significantly higher in patients with cancer, presenting a complex problem for clinicians in terms of periprocedural anticoagulation management. This article reviews the current recommendations regarding periprocedural anticoagulation management in patients with cancer.