Kanker opsporen na idiopathische trombose: Anamnese en lichamelijk onderzoek blijven het belangrijkst

The relation between cancer and thrombosis is well known. In fact, the presence of an occult malignancy in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) is named after a famous 19th century French physician; it is called Trousseau's sign. In this commentary, I elaborate upon findings from a recent individual patient data meta-analysis on Trousseau's sign. This study demonstrated that extensive screening to unmask an occult malignancy in unprovoked VTE is no better than 'simple' history taking and physical examination, alongside age-specific and gender-specific national cancer screening e.g. for colorectal carcinoma, breast cancer and/or prostate cancer. Listening to what the patient has to say and a good physical examination remain the cornerstone for modern medicine, a finding Trousseau would no doubt have appreciated.