• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.269-282
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• 2016

Venous thromboembolism, encompassing deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, has increased in cancer patients and adversely affects their prognosis. Low-molecular-weight heparins are recommended as efficacious and safe anticoagulation treatment in cancer patients. However, in practice, oral anticoagulation is preferred, especially if longterm or extended treatment is necessary. Novel oral anticoagulants have recently emerged as an alternative to the standard therapy owing to the ease of administration, predictable anticoagulation effect without the need of laboratory monitoring, and fewer drug interactions. These new agents have been shown as effective and safe for the management of cancer-associated thrombosis in ongoing head-to-head comparative trials. Here we review the advances and limitation of current anticoagulant therapies.