Table 2

Overview of identified trials fulfilling the eligibility criteria

Author yearTrial nameType of cancerAnticoagulantNumber of patients randomisedOutcomes
Agnelli 201216Evaluation of Semuloparin sodium (AVE5026) in the Prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy (SAVE-ONCO)Patients with metastatic or locally advanced solid tumoursSemuloparin3172

  • Survival (12 months)

  • VTE

  • Major bleeding, minor bleeding

Agnelli 200917PROphylaxis of ThromboEmbolism during CHemoTherapy (PROTECHT)Metastatic or locally advanced solid cancer receiving chemotherapyNadroparin1150

  • Survival (4–12 months)

  • Response to chemo (4 months)

  • Thrombotic complications in patients with CVC

  • Superficial thrombophlebitis of lower limbs

  • Asymptomatic thromboembolic events

  • Safety (bleeding, major, minor, others, 4 months)

Altinbas 200418A randomised clinical trial of combination chemotherapy with and without low-molecular-weight heparin in small cell lung cancerSCLCDalteparin84

  • All-cause mortality (12–24 months)

  • Symptomatic DVT

  • Bleeding

Haas 200519Low-molecular-weight heparin versus
Placebo for the prevention of venous
Thromboembolism in metastatic
breast cancer or stage III/IV lung cancer (TOPIC 1 and 2)		Metastatic breast or lungCertoparin900

  • Survival (6 months)

  • Major and minor bleeding

  • Venous thromboembolism

  • Symptomatic and asymptomatic DVT

  • PE—Vena subclavia, vena jugularis

  • Superficial thrombophlebitis

  • Symptomatic venous thromboembolism

  • Any thrombotic event

  • Skeletal events

Kakkar 200420The Fragmin Advanced Malignancy Outcome Study (FAMOUS)Advanced cancerDalteparin374

  • Mortality (12–24–36 months)

  • Symptomatic venous thromboembolism

  • (PE, DVT)

  • Major bleeding

  • Minor bleeding

Klerk 200521Malignancy and Low Molecular Weight Heparin Therapy (MALT)Advanced cancerNadroparin302

  • Mortality (6–12–24 months)

  • Major bleeding

  • Clinically relevant non-major bleeding

  • All clinically relevant bleeding (major and non-major combined)

Lebeau 199422Subcutaneous heparin treatment
Increases survival in small cell
Lung cancer		SCLCUnfractionated heparin277

  • Survival (12–24–36 months)

  • Bleeding

Lecumberri 201023Adjuvant BEmiparin in small cell Lung carcinoma (ABEL)SCLCBemiparin26

  • Mortality (18 months)

  • Bleeding

  • Tumour progression

Maraveyas 201124A phase II randomised study of chemoanticoagulation (gemcitabine-dalteparin) vs chemotherapy alone (gemcitabine) for locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (FRAGEM)Pancreatic cancerDalteparin123

  • VTE

  • Survival

  • Toxicity

  • Time to disease progression

  • Serological markers of thromboangiogenisis

Macbeth25A randomised phase III clinical trial investigating the effect of FRAGMin added to standard therapy in patients with lung cancer (FRAGMATIC)Lung cancerDalteparin2202

  • Survival

  • Serious adverse events

  • Toxicity

  • Quality of life

  • Cost-effectiveness

Pelzer et al 200826A prospective, randomised trial of simultaneous pancreatic cancer treatment with enoxaparin and ChemoTherapy (PROSPECT)Advanced pancreatic cancer on chemotherapyEnoxaparin312

  • Overall survival

  • Symptomatic VTE

  • Major bleeding

  • Time to progression

Perry 201027A trial of dalteparin low molecular weight heparin for primary prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in brain tumour patients (PRODIGE)Malignant gliomaDalterparin186

  • Primary outcomes: symptomatic DVT or PE.

  • Secondary outcomes bleeding (major and all bleeding)

  • Quality of life

  • Cognition assessments

  • Death

Sideras 200628Low-molecular-weight heparin in patients with advanced cancer: a phase 3 clinical trialAdvanced cancerDalteparin137

  • Mortality (12 and 24 months)

  • Symptomatic VTE

  • Major/minor bleeding

Van Doormaal 201129Improving with nadroparin the Prognosis in advanced cancer treatment (INPACT)NSCLC
Prostate cancer
Pancreatic cancer		Nadroparin503

  • Mortality

  • Disease progression

  • Major/minor bleeding

  • Venous thromboembolism (PE, DVT)

Weber 200830Prophylactic anticoagulation in cancer palliative care: a prospective randomised studyAdvanced cancerNadroparin20

  • Mortality (3–6–12–15 months)

  • Symptomatic venous thromboembolism

  • (PE, DVT)

  • Major bleeding

  • Minor bleeding

  • Thrombocytopaenia

  • DVT, deep venous thrombosis; VTE, venous thromboembolic event.