The role of D-dimer and residual venous obstruction in recurrence of venous thromboembolism after anticoagulation withdrawal in cancer patients.

We assessed the predictive value of D-dimer (D-d) and residual venous obstruction (RVO), alone or in combination, for recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) over a 2-year follow-up in a cohort of 88 cancer patients after oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) withdrawal following a first episode of proximal deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs. RVO, determined by compression ultrasonography on the day of OAT suspension (T1), and abnormal D-d (cut-off value: 500 ng/mL), measured at T1 and 30+/-10 days afterwards, are independent risk factors for recurrent VTE in cancer patients.