Population-based cohort study of incidence of newly diagnosed cancer after cerebral venous thrombosis in The Netherlands

Active cancer is a risk factor for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), but whether CVT is associated with occult cancer is unknown. A population-based cohort study in The Netherlands included 2649 patients with a first CVT. The cumulative incidence of cancer was 5.9% (95% CI 4.8-7.2) at ten years of follow-up, and was highest in men aged 50 years of older (13.7%; 9.1-18.7). Compared to a matched reference cohort from the general population, the risk of cancer was elevated among the CVT patients during the entire follow-up, but the difference narrowed over time. The authors conclude that patients of CVT had an elevated risk of cancer during follow-up, regardless of age or sex. Physicians should be vigilant for signs of cancer during follow-up of CVT patients.