1. THE ROLE OF D-DIMER AT SCREENING VENOUS THROMBOSIS IN ADVANCED CANCER PATIENTS Panagiotis Heras (1), Theodosis Andrianopoulos (1), Ioannis Tsiverdis (1), Ilias Georgopoulos (1), Antonios Hatzopoulos (1) (1) Clinic of Internal Medicine, General Hospital of Nafplio, GREECE

2. Introduction: The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in advanced cancer patients is up to 30-40 %. D-Dimer is used as screening test for VTE due to its high sensitivity and low cost. But, it is frequently elevated by other causes, like infection or malignancy. Objectives: To assess D-Dimer utility as screening test for VTE in advanced cancer patients. Methods: Patients with incurable cancer and swollen leg or other factors (according to Well’s clinical DVT model) underwent D-Dimer test at admission according to our team’s policy. This report is retrospective analysis of patients who were admitted in palliative care ward from July 2010 to December 2014.

3. Results: Among 125 incurable cancer patients, 103 had Well’s score ≥2 at admission. Among 103 patients, only 5 had normal D-Dimer ( 2.0 μg/mL. Conclusions: In advanced cancer patients, D-Dimer may lack its screening value for VTE. Patients without VTE also have high level of D- Dimer. A novel cost-effective tool is necessary for screening VTE.