Patel SV, Zhang L, Wei X, et al. - In view of the observation that patients treated for colon cancer are at an elevated risk of venous thromboembolism, researchers sought to quantify and compare the risks of venous thromboembolism before surgery, after surgery, during adjuvant chemotherapy, and up to 365 days after surgery among patients with resected colon cancer. In a single-payer, universal health care setting (Ontario, they conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study between 2002 and 2008. Among a total of 6,806 patients with stage I to III colon cancer who were treated with surgical resection, 327 (5%) developed venous thromboembolism. Observations thus suggest a considerable risk of developing venous thromboembolism among these patients. Patients who require adjuvant chemotherapy were at elevated risk. Venous thromboembolism is correlated with worse long-term outcomes. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis may play a role during all phases of treatment, including both after surgery and during adjuvant chemotherapy.