A modified Khorana risk assessment score for venous thromboembolism in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: the Protecht score

The association between cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is well established [1]. Indeed, up to 20 % of cancer patients have a symptomatic VTE, which is recognized to be one of the leading causes of death in these patients [2]. Patients with cancer are heterogeneous concerning the risk for VTE. Some solid malignancies including pancreatic, lung, colon-rectum, ovarian, and brain cancer are associated with a particularly high risk for VTE. A risk assessment score for VTE, known as Khorana score, was validated for cancer patients treated with chemotherapy in order to identify high risk patients [2]. Among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, rates of VTE seem to be particularly high in those receiving cisplatin or carboplatin-based chemotherapy as well as gemcitabine [3]. We designed a modified Khorana risk assessment score (the Protecht score) by adding platinum or gemcitabine-based chemotherapy to the predictive variables already taken into account in the Khorana score.