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Current section: Scores

Khorana Risk Score for Venous Thromboembolism in Cancer Patients

Predicts chemotherapy-associated VTE risk in ambulatory adult patients with cancer before a new systemic chemotherapy regimen.

Clinical parameters

Cancer site

Required

Pre-chemotherapy platelet count ≥350 × 10⁹/L

Required

Hemoglobin level <100 g/L (<10 g/dL) or use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents

Required

Pre-chemotherapy leukocyte count >11 × 10⁹/L

Required

Body mass index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m²

Required

Clinical context

Use the Khorana Risk Score as an adjunct for VTE risk stratification in ambulatory adult patients with cancer before a new systemic chemotherapy regimen. It does not diagnose VTE and is not an automatic treatment directive. Later validation studies report variable absolute risks across cancer types and methods. Review bleeding risk, contraindications, drug interactions, and the applicable oncology protocol. Brain tumors, renal cancer, and multiple myeloma were underrepresented in the original cohorts; for multiple myeloma, use a disease-specific tool such as IMPEDE-VTE.