Development of a Risk Prediction Score for Occult Cancer in Patients With VTE

External validation of the RIETE and SOME scores for occult cancer in patients with venous thromboembolism: a multicentre cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be the first sign of an undiagnosed cancer. The RIETE and SOME scores aim to identify patients with acute VTE at high risk of occult cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the performance of both scores.

METHODS

The scores were evaluated in a retrospective cohort from two centers. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) evaluated the discriminatory performance.

RESULTS

The RIETE score was applied to 815 patients with provoked and unprovoked VTE, of whom 56 (6.9%) were diagnosed with cancer. Of the 203 patients classified as high-risk, 18 were diagnosed with cancer, representing 32.1% (18/56) of the total cancer diagnoses. In the group of 612 low-risk patients, 67.9% of the cancer cases were diagnosed (38/56). Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and AUC were 32%, 76%, 94%, 9%, and 0.430 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38‒0.47), respectively. The SOME score could be calculated in 418 patients with unprovoked VTE, of whom 33 (7.9%) were diagnosed with cancer. Of the 45 patients classified as high-risk, three were diagnosed with cancer, representing 9.1% (3/33) of the total cancer diagnoses. In the group of 373 low-risk patients, 90.9% of the cancer cases were diagnosed (30/33). Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and AUC were 33%, 88%, 94%, 20%, and 0.351 (95% CI, 0.27‒0.43), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The performance of both scores was poor. Our results highlight the need to develop new models to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from an extensive cancer screening strategy.

Recurrent deep vein thrombosis in a young patient of African descent: challenging the prevailing stance on the significance of MTHFR C677T mutation

Background

Although numerous gene variations, such as those in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, have been implicated in an increased risk of venous thrombosis, current recommendations do not advocate genetic testing if there is no clinically meaningful association with thrombosis.

Case Presentation

A 30-year-old male patient presented with left lower limb swelling of two days with prior history of deep vein thrombosis and superficial thrombophlebitis. His left lower limb was grossly swollen. Doppler study showed thrombosis of left common femoral, superficial femoral and iliac veins and work up for inherited thrombophilia was negative except detection of MTHFR C677T mutation.

Conclusion

In spite of the great controversy regarding the strong association between MTHFR C677T mutation and venous thromboembolism, it is worth considering genetic testing as part of work-up for inherited thrombophilia in young patients, particularly of African descent, if they have recurrent deep vein thrombosis with no obvious risk factors.

Predictors of cancer in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

BACKGROUND

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) can occur as a manifestation of an underlying cancer and be of paraneoplastic aetiology. A previously unknown cancer is sometimes diagnosed after the acute PE diagnosis. The identification of a group of patients with elevated probability of having an occult cancer underlying PE was never performed. We aimed to determine predictors of occult cancer in acute PE. Our hypothesis was that the D-dimer levels would be a predictor of cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed a cohort of patients hospitalized with acute PE.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

<18 years, venous embolism only of veins other than pulmonary territory or when the embolism was considered chronic, and no image confirmation of acute PE. Patients were grouped according to the timing of cancer diagnosis: 1) known concomitant active cancer, 2) cancer diagnosed during acute PE admission or in the following 2 years and, 3) no known cancer during the 2-year follow-up since PE diagnosis. Predictors of concomitant cancer were determined using a logistic regression analysis. Multivariate models were built.

RESULTS

We studied 562 patients; median age was 72 years and 219 (39.0 %) were men. In 223 (39.7 %) of the patients the PE was of central arteries and 61.4 % presented with bilateral PE. PE was considered unprovoked at time of discharge in 47.7 %. Median (interquartile range) D-dimer level was 7.98 (3.30-14.99) μg/mL. A total of 126 (22.4 %) patients were in group 1, 47 in group 2 (cancer diagnosed after the diagnosis of acute PE and up to 2 years) and 389 patients were in group 3. Elevated D-dimer levels were independently associated with already known cancer. D-dimer were independent predictors of future cancer diagnosis: OR = 1.07 ((95 % CI: 1.01-1.14) per each 5 ng/mL increase; for patients with D-dimer >15.0 μg/mL the OR of future cancer was 2.10 (1.05-4.18). If only patients with unprovoked PE upon admission (n = 307) were to be considered results were similar considering D-dimer; anaemia also predicted unknown cancer [OR = 2.13 (1.08-4.16)].

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with D-dimer >15 μg/mL presented a >2-fold higher risk of being diagnosed with a cancer condition in the upcoming 2 years. D-dimer may help clinicians in identifying which patients are at higher risk of occult cancer.

Clinical manifestations of cancer in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

BACKGROUND

Neoplasmatic disease increases the risk of acute pulmonary embolism (APE) by different pathophysiological mechanisms that favor thrombosis in patients with cancer. Recently, the role of cancer (active and occult) in the prevalence of venous thromboembolism has been discussed more thoroughly in the subject literature.

MATERIAL

Medical records of 366 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of APE (aged: mean = 65.0 ± 16.6, median = 68, range = 19-94; men = 41%/women = 59%) were collected with a wide range of demographic data, medical history of coexisting diseases, computer examination, and laboratory tests.

METHODS

The APE patients were analyzed in two groups: negative cancer cases (83%), i.e. without concomitant active malignancy or a history of cancer, and positive ones (17%), i.e. those hospitalized with concomitant active cancer disease or a history of cancer within the past 5 years.

RESULTS

Based on the application of the Student's t-test for independent samples and the χ2 test of independence, a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) between cancer (-) and cancer(+) groups of patients was calculated for the following selected risk factors: BMI, smoking status, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell, urea, glomerular filtration rate, high-sensitivity troponin T, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and NT-proBNP. Using univariate Cox regression and a discrete-time hazard model, the estimated hazard ratios and odds ratios, respectively, for the risk of an earlier death from cancer as well as for a secondary APE episode in APE patients with malignancy are more than three times higher than in cancer-free patients and they are statistically significant (P < 0.05). Moreover, the modeled discrete-time hazard curves show a constant excess risk of death and a secondary APE episode in patients diagnosed with malignancy over the period of observation.

CONCLUSION

Cancer and APE seem to go 'hand in hand'. Attention should be paid to many factors, primarily clinical, differentiating patients with cancer from those with an APE incident. The patients with cancer after a primary APE should receive anticoagulants to prevent a secondary APE episode and to reduce the risk of mortality.

The Conundrum of Occult Cancer Screening in Venous Thromboembolism: Lessons from the REMOTEV Registry

(1) Background and Objectives: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is strongly associated with cancer, and may be the first event revealing occult neoplasia. Nonetheless, the reasonable extent of the etiological assessment after an unprovoked VTE event remains debated. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of occult neoplasia one year after an episode of VTE, in consecutively hospitalized patients for VTE from the REMOTEV registry. The secondary objectives were to assess the performance of the various tests used for occult cancer screening in a real-life setting and analyze the risk factors associated with the discovery of cancer and the 1-year prognosis. (2) Methods: REMOTEV is a prospective, non-interventional cohort study of patients with acute VTE. Patients included in the registry from 23 October 2013 to 28 July 2018 were analyzed after a follow-up of 12 months. Cancer detection was performed according to local practices and consisted of a limited strategy to which an abdominal ultrasound was added. In the presence of suggestive clinical manifestations, further examinations were performed on an individual basis. (3) Results: A total of 993 patients were included in the study. At 1 year, the incidence of newly diagnosed cancer was low (5.3%). Half of the detected cancers were metastatic at discovery (51%) and had a poor global prognosis (32% of mortality at 1 year). Admission pulmonary CT scans as well as (thoracic)-abdomino-pelvic CT scans (when performed) were responsible for the majority of detected cancers. Age over 65 years and the concomitant presence of an unusual site and lower-limb deep vein thrombosis were the only factors associated with occult neoplasia in this cohort. After 1-year FU, mortality was higher in cancer patients (HR 6.0 (CI 95% 3.5−10.3, p < 0.0001)), and cancer evolution was the leading cause of death in the cancer group. (4) Conclusions: In REMOTEV, VTE-revealed occult cancer prevalence was low, but similar to recent reports and associated with higher age, multiple thrombotic sites and worse prognosis.

Venous Thromboembolism for the Practicing Cardiologist

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), encompassing pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is encountered commonly. Acute PE may present as a high-risk cardiovascular emergency, and acute DVT can cause acute and chronic vascular complications. The goal of this review is to ensure that cardiologists are comfortable managing VTE-including risk stratification, anticoagulation therapy, and familiarity with primary reperfusion therapy. Clinical assessment and determination of degree of right ventricular dysfunction are critical in initial risk stratification of PE and determination of parenteral versus oral anticoagulation therapy. Direct oral anticoagulants have emerged as preferred first-line oral anticoagulation strategy in VTE scenarios.

Screening for Cancer in Patients with Acute Venous Thromboembolic Disease

Active cancer causes approximately 25% of all acute events of venous thromboembolism (VTE). While most of the cancer diagnoses are known or clinically apparent at the time of VTE, care providers and patients may be worried about the 3 to 8% risk of occult cancer occurring in the year after VTE. Several studies have compared limited to extensive cancer screening after acute VTE, especially with the addition of abdominal computed tomography (CT) or whole-body PET-CT, with the hope to shorten the time to cancer diagnosis and lead to less advanced cancer stages. These studies have not shown improved clinical outcomes with an extensive screening, and have led to current recommendations of limited screening for cancer in patients with acute VTE, including unprovoked cases. Several risk assessment models have been developed to identify patients at greatest risk of occult cancer, however, with low discriminative performances and no current clinical usefulness. Some clinical situations may empirically deserve a more thorough cancer screening, such as unprovoked upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT), bilateral leg DVT, descending leg DVT, or recurrent VTE during anticoagulation.

Risk scores for occult cancer in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism: Results from an individual patient data meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The Registro Informatizado de Pacientes con Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) score and the Screening for Occult Malignancy in Patients with Idiopathic Venous Thromboembolism (SOME) risk scores aim to identify patients with acute unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) at high risk of occult cancer, but their predictive performance is unclear.

METHODS

The scores were evaluated in an individual patient data meta-analysis. Studies were eligible if enrolling consecutive adults with unprovoked VTE who underwent protocol-mandated screening for cancer. The primary outcome was a cancer diagnosis between 30 days and 2 years of follow-up. The discriminatory performance was evaluated by computing the area under the receiver (ROC) curve in random-effects meta-analyses.

RESULTS

The RIETE score could be calculated in 1753 patients, of whom 63 (3.6%) were diagnosed with cancer. The pooled area under the ROC curve was 0.59 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.66; I2  = 0%). Of the 427 patients (24%) classified as high risk, 25 (5.9%) were diagnosed with cancer compared with 38 of 1326 (2.9%) low-risk patients (hazard ratio [HR], 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-3.4). The SOME score was calculated in 925 patients, of whom 37 (4.0%) were diagnosed with cancer. The pooled area under the ROC curve was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.46-0.65; I2  = 46%). Of the 161 patients (17%) classified as high risk (≥2 points), eight (5.0%) were diagnosed with cancer compared with 29 of 764 (3.8%) low-risk patients (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.55-2.7).

CONCLUSIONS

The predictive discriminatory performance of both scores is poor. When used dichotomously, the RIETE score is able to discriminate between low- and high-risk patients. Because this is largely driven by advanced age, these results do not support the use of these scores in daily clinical practice.

Screening for occult cancer: where are we in 2020?

The relationship between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and cancer has become an area of intense debate due to the importance and the potential benefits of the identification of occult cancer following the diagnosis of unprovoked VTE. At present, extended screening is not recommended in patients with unprovoked VTE. However, if we were able to identify a group at greater risk of presenting cancer during follow-up, these patients would benefit from extended screening. The creation of a trans-organ screening model enables the unification of metrics of quality in the screening of cancer in different localizations. Likewise, it can incorporate cancer screening for other localizations or other specific situations of risk such as unprovoked VTE. This study summarizes the contribution of the Population-based Research Optimizing Screening through Personalized Regimens (PROSPR) initiative aimed at improving the cancer screening process. Likewise, we have carried out an updated review of unprovoked VTE and occult cancer. Finally, we discuss the studies currently ongoing aimed at identifying the population at greatest risk of presenting cancer during follow-up. The identification of this population at high risk could help to determine the following steps to undertake in order to implement screening in this population.

Screening for Occult Cancer in Patients with Venous Thromboembolism

Unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be the first sign of an occult cancer. The rate of occult cancer detection within 12 months of a newly diagnosed unprovoked VTE is approximately 5%. Therefore, it is appealing for clinicians to screen patients with unprovoked VTE for occult cancer, as it could potentially decrease cancer-related mortality and morbidity and improve quality of life. However, several randomized controlled trials have failed to report that an extensive occult cancer screening strategy (e.g., computed tomography of the abdomen/pelvis) is improving these patient-important outcomes. Therefore, clinical guidance documents suggest that patients should only undergo a limited screening strategy including a thorough medical history, physical examination, basic laboratory investigations (i.e., complete blood count and liver function tests), chest X-ray, as well as age- and gender-specific cancer screening (breast, cervical, colon and prostate). More intensive occult cancer screening including additional investigations is not routinely recommended. This narrative review will focus on the epidemiology, timing, and evidence regarding occult cancer detection in patients with unprovoked VTE.

Prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism disease in patients with cancer

Thrombotic risk should always be assessed in the various clinical scenarios of patients with cancer. Thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin is recommended above other anticoagulants for most patients with cancer who are hospitalised. However, the safety of primary thromboprophylaxis in this context is unknown; however, thromboprophylaxis can be completed with mechanical methods. Thromboprophylaxis in outpatients who are treated with chemotherapy is not indicated, except for outpatients who have other factors that determine a high thrombotic risk. In these cases, prophylaxis such as apixaban, rivaroxaban and low-molecular-weight heparin may be employed, provided there are no significant risk factors for bleeding or drug interactions. In patients undergoing oncologic surgery, thromboprophylaxis should be started before the surgery, continuing for at least 7 to 10 days and, in cases of major surgery, even up to 4 weeks. Drug prophylaxis is not routinely recommended to prevent upper extremity thrombosis in patients who carry central venous catheters.

Recurrent thrombosis followed by Lazarus response in ROS1 rearranged NSCLC treated with crizotinib: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Patients with cancer have higher risk of thrombosis compared to the general population and particularly lung adenocarcinoma is considered at high risk for venous thromboembolism. Some targetable oncogenic drivers are supposed to further increase this risk.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 35-year-old man who had developed a recurrent venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism (PE) was diagnosed with ROS1 rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While molecular examinations were ongoing, he developed progressive respiratory failure. For PE and thrombosis worsening with detection of right heart thrombus, he underwent therapy with unfractionated heparin. Despite initial good radiologic results, only with the start of crizotinib did the patient's clinical condition significantly improve to configure a Lazarus response.

CONCLUSIONS

Cancer diagnosis should always be considered in patients with unprovoked thrombosis and, if NSCLC is diagnosed, genetic alterations should be always sought after. A possible relation between venous thromboembolism and oncogenic drivers, particularly for ALK translocations, has been hypothesized. Similarly to ALK-positive NSCLC, ROS1 rearranged disease has been associated with an increased thromboembolic risk. Further studies are needed to better evaluate this relation and to evaluate the potential benefit of a prophylactic anticoagulating treatment in this subset of patients.

A clinical practice-based evaluation of the RIETE score in predicting occult cancer in patients with venous thromboembolism

The association between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and occult cancer is well established. However, the benefit of cancer screening in all VTE patients remains controversial. The Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) score is a recently proposed risk score to identify VTE patients at high risk of occult cancer. We evaluated the performance of the RIETE score in a routine clinical setting comprising patients presenting with VTE between January 1 and December 31, 2014, at Danderyd University hospital. Out of 488 VTE patients, 47 (9.6%) patients received a new cancer diagnosis during a 24-month follow-up. After exclusion of patients with cancer diagnosed at baseline (≤ 10 days after VTE, n = 16), 472 patients were considered eligible for cancer screening. Among these 472 patients, 31 (6.6%) received a cancer diagnosis during follow-up. The cumulative incidence was high after both unprovoked (8.5%) and provoked (4.8%) VTE. The RIETE score was evaluated in 467 of these patients. Interestingly, a high RIETE score was not significantly associated with cancer diagnosis during follow-up (OR 1.78; 95% CI 0.85-3.63), which was mainly due to a poor performance in women (OR 1.04; 95% CI 0.30-2.83). In summary, we observed a relatively high incidence of occult cancer in both unprovoked and provoked VTE. The RIETE score performed poorly in identifying patients at high risk of occult cancer in our VTE population. Additional risk assessment models are warranted to identify VTE patients who would benefit from extensive cancer screening.

Prothrombotic fibrin clot properties associated with increased endogenous thrombin potential and soluble P-selectin predict occult cancer after unprovoked venous thromboembolism

BACKGROUND

Compact fibrin clots relatively resistant to lysis are observed in patients at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) including malignancy. The citrullinated histone H3 (H3Cit) predicts VTE in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES

We performed a cohort study to investigate whether abnormal clot properties predict cancer diagnosis following unprovoked VTE.

METHODS

In 369 consecutive patients aged <70 years without malignancy detected during routine screening, we determined plasma clot permeability (Ks ) and clot lysis time (CLT), along with several prothrombotic markers and H3Cit after 2 to 8 months since VTE.

RESULTS

During follow-up (median, 37; interquartile range, 33-39 months), malignancy was diagnosed in 22 patients (6%), who were older. This group had denser fibrin networks (-13% Ks ), impaired fibrinolysis (+25.5% CLT), increased endogenous thrombin potential (ETP,+7%), soluble P-selectin (+40.3%), and H3Cit (+169.2%) measured off anticoagulation after median 4 months since VTE. The Ks and CLT correlated with H3Cit (r = -.58 and r = .31, P < .05, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that reduced Ks (the first quartile, ≤6.2 × 10-9  cm2 ), prolonged CLT (the top quartile, >106 min), and higher ETP (the top quartile, >1657 nM × min) were predictors of cancer diagnosed during follow-up. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model showed that patients with the prothrombotic clot phenotype (low Ks and long CLT) had the highest risk of cancer diagnosis [hazard ratio(HR), 23.4; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.67-82.15].

CONCLUSIONS

Prothrombotic clot properties following unprovoked VTE might help identify patients at risk of a diagnosis of cancer within the first 3 years of follow-up.

Thrombosis Risk Associated with Head and Neck Cancer: A Review

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication for cancer patients. VTE-associated risk varies according to the type of tumor disease. Head and neck cancer is a common cancer worldwide, and most tumors are squamous cell carcinomas due to tobacco and alcohol abuse. The risk of VTE associated with head and neck (H&N) cancer is considered empirically low, but despite the high incidence of H&N cancer, few data are available on this cancer; thus, it is difficult to state the risk of VTE. Our review aims to clarify this situation and tries to assess the real VTE risk associated with H&N cancer. We report that most clinical studies have concluded that there is a very low thrombosis risk associated with H&N cancer. Even with the biases that often exist, this clinical review seems to confirm that the risk of VTE was empirically hypothesized. Furthermore, we highlight that H&N cancer has all the biological features of a cancer associated with a high thrombosis risk, including a strong expression of procoagulant proteins, modified thrombosis/fibrinolysis mechanisms, and secretions of procoagulant microparticles and procoagulant cytokines. Thus, this is a paradoxical situation, and some undiscovered mechanisms that could explain this clinical biological ambivalence might exist.

Cancer-associated thrombosis: the when, how and why

Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is a condition in which relevance has been increasingly recognised both for physicians that deal with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and for oncologists. It is currently estimated that the annual incidence of VTE in patients with cancer is 0.5% compared to 0.1% in the general population. Active cancer accounts for 20% of the overall incidence of VTE. Of note, VTE is the second most prevalent cause of death in cancer, second only to the progression of the disease, and cancer is the most prevalent cause of deaths in VTE patients. Nevertheless, CAT presents several peculiarities that distinguish it from other VTE, both in pathophysiology mechanisms, risk factors and especially in treatment, which need to be considered. CAT data will be reviewed in this review.

Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) presents peculiar features (risk factors and pathophysiology) that distinguish it from common VTE cases. Treatment of CAT requires a different approach, since the patients are more prone to recurrence and bleeding.http://ow.ly/j1Lu30nYmd5

Revisiting occult cancer screening in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism

Unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be the first manifestation of an unknown cancer. A recently published individual patient data meta-analysis (IPDMA) reported a prevalence of occult cancer detection of 5.2% (95% CI, 4.1% to 6.5%) over a one-year follow-up period, approximately 50% lower than the previously reported 12-month period prevalence. Although an extensive screening strategy was associated with a 2-fold higher probability of cancer detection at initial screening in the IPDMA, not enough evidence exists yet to support the routine use of these tests in patients with unprovoked VTE. It is likely that a subgroup of patients with unprovoked VTE is at higher risk of occult cancer detection and might benefit from closer clinical surveillance. A newly derived and validated clinical predictive rule seems to be able to stratify patients with unprovoked VTE accordingly to their underlying risk of occult cancer detection. The low incidence of occult cancer detection (<3%) in the low-risk group is reassuring for clinicians. Future studies are required to better define the risks and benefits of an extensive occult cancer screening strategy in high risk patients sub-group with unprovoked VTE. To date, the Scientific and Standardized Committee from the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis suggests that patients with unprovoked VTE should only undergo a limited cancer screening including thorough medical history and physical examination, basic laboratory investigations, chest X-ray as well as age- and gender-specific cancer screening according to national guidelines.

Arterial Ischemic Events Are a Major Complication in Cancer Patients with Venous Thromboembolism

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism is common in patients with malignancies, affecting up to 10% of this patient population. The association between arterial ischemic events and venous thromboembolism also has been established. However, the influence of arterial ischemic events on outcomes in cancer patients with venous thromboembolism has not been fully determined.

METHODS

The current study analyzed clinical characteristics, time course, risk factors, incidence and severity of venous thromboembolism recurrences, arterial ischemic events and major bleeding in 5717 patients with active cancer and venous thromboembolism recruited into RIETE (multi-center prospective registry of patients with objectively confirmed venous thromboembolism).

RESULTS

During the anticoagulation course (median 7.3 months), 499 (8.7%) patients developed venous thromboembolism recurrences, 63 (1.1%) developed arterial events, and 346 (6.1%) suffered from major bleeding. Overall, major bleeding and arterial events appeared earlier (median 35 and 36 days, respectively) than venous thromboembolism recurrences (median 97 days). Thirty-day mortality rates after each event were: 20% after recurrent pulmonary embolism, 13% after recurrent deep vein thrombosis, 41% after major bleeding, 40% after myocardial infarction, 64% after ischemic stroke, and 83% after lower limb amputation. Bleeding was the leading cause of death (67 fatal bleeds), whereas cumulative mortality due to arterial ischemic events (n = 27) was similar to that related to pulmonary embolism recurrences (n = 26).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, arterial ischemic events and major bleeding appeared early after venous thromboembolism in patients with active cancer and were among frequent causes of their deaths. The risk and severity of arterial events need to be considered in this clinical setting.

Venous Thromboembolism and Cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aims to summarize the epidemiology, current pathophysiologic understanding, and state-of-the-art treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

The risk of VTE varies among cancer patients. Recently introduced prediction models better identify those at high risk of VTE. New mechanisms underlying hypercoagulability in cancer have been uncovered. Initial data on the efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared with low-molecular weight heparin to treat VTE in patients with cancer are promising. However, they may be associated with higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. VTE causes significant morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Our understanding of the mechanisms of VTE, including those associated with cancer treatments, has significantly grown. The assessment of the benefit/risk balance of VTE treatment remains challenging in many patients with cancer. The introduction of DOACs has expanded treatment options, but knowledge on their efficacy and safety is incomplete.

Screening cancer after venous thromboembolism: How many abnormal tests before diagnosing cancer? An analysis of practice

INTRODUCTION

Since Trousseau, we knows that venous thrombemboembolism (VTE) can reveal occult cancer. Different strategies of cancer screening have been evaluated: they are often time-consuming, cause stress and anxiety, and frequently require second-look examinations (due to the risk of false positives), with ultimately a very low yield (about 5%). We evaluated the number of suspect cancer tests before reporting them to the number of cancers finally diagnosed, after a VTE, in the setting of practice's analysis.

METHODS

We studied retrospectively patients hospitalized for a VTE and with a cancer screening, between 2011 and 2012. Screening cancer was defined by performing at least one of the following tests: PSA, fecal occult blood test, mammography, abdominopelvic iconography (abdominal ultrasound and/or abdominal CT scan). We recorded the suspected cancer tests, the cancers diagnosed, their stage and the survival. These results were expressed as a percentage with a 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

Out of the 491 patients treated for a VTE, screening cancer was performed on 295 patients (median age 66.2 years). Nineteen PSA (16.7%, 95% CI [10.3-25]) were abnormal, with 2 localized prostate cancers. Nineteen fecal occult blood tests (15.3%, 95% CI [9.5-23]) were positive, with 2 local cancers. Five mammograms suspected cancer (4.7% 95% CI [1.6-10.8]) for one confirmed. Thirty-eight abdomino-pelvic iconographies (14.4% 95% CI [10.4-19.2]) were suspect, with 7 confirmed cancers, 6 being metastatic at times of diagnostic.

CONCLUSION

Among the 607 tests performed, 81 were suspected of cancer (13.3%) for only 12 cancers confirmed (2.0%). Screening cancer exposes patients to several false positive tests.

Insights into venous thromboembolism prevention in hospitalized cancer patients: Lessons from a prospective study

Hospitalized cancer patients are at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Despite current recommendations in clinical guidelines, thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is underused. We performed an observational prospective study to analyse factors influencing prophylaxis use, VTE events and mortality in cancer-hospitalized patients. 1072 consecutive adult cancer patients were included in an University Hospital from April 2014 to February 2017, and followed-up for 30 days after discharge. The rate of LMWH prophylaxis was 67.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 64.7% to 70.4%), with a 2.8% rate of VTE events (95% CI 1.9% to 3.9%) and 3.5% rate of major bleeding events (95% CI 2.5% to 4.8%). 80% of VTE events occurred despite appropriate thromboprophylaxis. Overall, 30-day mortality rate was 13.2% (95% CI 11.2% to 15.3%). Active chemotherapy treatment, hospital stay ≥ 4 days, and metastatic disease were associated with a higher use of LMWH. On the contrary, patients with hematologic malignancies, anemia or thrombocytopenia were less prone to receive thromboprophylaxis. The main reasons for not prescribing LMWH prophylaxis were thrombocytopenia (23.9%) and active/recent bleeding (21.8%). The PRETEMED score, used for VTE risk stratification, correlated with 30-day mortality. There is room for improvement in thromboprophylaxis use among hospitalized-cancer patients, especially among those with hematologic malignancies. A relevant number of VTE events occurred despite prophylaxis with LMWH. Therefore, identification of risk factors for thromboprophylaxis failure is needed.

The association between new onset atrial fibrillation and incident cancer-A nationwide cohort study

A recent analysis showed an association with new onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) and incident cancer among women. We aimed to examine the risk of cancer among patients with NOAF in general population. A retrospective cohort of 5130 patients with NOAF was identified from a random sample of one million subjects between 2005 and 2010 from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The standard incidence ratio of incident cancer and hazard ratios were calculated by modeling cumulative incidence with competing risk of death. During a mean follow-up duration of 3.4 years, 330 patients developed cancer. The standard incidence ratio of all malignancies was 1.41 (95% confidence interval 1.26-1.57), suggesting a 41% increase in cancer risk compared with the general population. The risk of cancer was higher among men or the elderly with NOAF after adjusting for confounding factors and after considering the competing risk of death. The risk of cancer was not associated with CHA2DS2-VASc score (p = 0.32) among patients with NOAF. In conclusion, patients with NOAF were associated with a higher risk of cancer. Within this group, the risk of ischemic stroke (in terms of CHADS2-VASc score) did not reflect the risk of incident cancer.

Validation of a prognostic score for hidden cancer in unprovoked venous thromboembolism

The usefulness of a diagnostic workup for occult cancer in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) is controversial. We used the RIETE (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad Trombo Embólica) database to perform a nested case-control study to validate a prognostic score that identifies patients with unprovoked VTE at increased risk for cancer. We dichotomized patients as having low- (≤2 points) or high (≥3 points) risk for cancer, and tried to validate the score at 12 and 24 months. From January 2014 to October 2016, 11,695 VTE patients were recruited. Of these, 1,360 with unprovoked VTE (11.6%) were eligible for the study. At 12 months, 52 patients (3.8%; 95%CI: 2.9–5%) were diagnosed with cancer. Among 905 patients (67%) scoring ≤2 points, 22 (2.4%) had cancer. Among 455 scoring ≥3 points, 30 (6.6%) had cancer (hazard ratio 2.8; 95%CI 1.6–5; p<0.01). C-statistic was 0.63 (95%CI 0.55–0.71). At 24 months, 58 patients (4.3%; 95%CI: 3.3–5.5%) were diagnosed with cancer. Among 905 patients scoring ≤2 points, 26 (2.9%) had cancer. Among 455 patients scoring ≥3 points, 32 (7%) had cancer (hazard ratio 2.6; 95%CI 1.5–4.3; p<0.01). C-statistic was 0.61 (95%CI, 0.54–0.69). We validated our prognostic score at 12 and 24 months, although prospective cohort validation is needed. This may help to identify patients for whom more extensive screening workup may be required.

[Not Available]

Zusammenfassung. Eine unprovozierte venöse Thromboembolie (VTE) kann das erste Zeichen einer Neoplasie sein. Bei 5–10 % der Patienten wird in den nachfolgenden zwölf Monaten eine Krebserkrankung diagnostiziert. Bei allen Patienten nach einer unprovozierten VTE sollte deshalb eine gründliche Anamnese, eine sorgfältige klinische Untersuchung, eine Blutanalyse (Blutbild mit Blutausstrich, Leberenzyme, Kalzium), der Urinstatus und ein Thorax-Röntgen durchgeführt werden. Zusätzlich sollten ergänzend, je nach Alter und Geschlecht, die spezifischen Vorsorgeuntersuchungen (Darm, Zervix, Mamma und Prostata) vorgenommen werden. Alle auffälligen Befunde sollten weiter abgeklärt werden. Für eine noch aggressivere Tumorsuche konnte bislang kein Vorteil in Hinsicht auf die Tumordetektionsrate oder auf die Senkung der krebsbedingten Mortalität gezeigt werden.

Impact of Thrombus Sidedness on Presentation and Outcomes of Patients with Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis

Small studies have suggested differences in demographics and outcomes between left- and right-sided deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and also unilateral versus bilateral DVT. We investigated the clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with DVT based on thrombus sidedness. The authors used the data from the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) database (2001-2016) to identify patients with symptomatic proximal lower-extremity DVT. Main outcomes included cumulative 90-day symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) and 1-year mortality. Overall, 30,445 patients were included. The majority of DVTs occurred in the left leg (16,421 left-sided, 12,643 right-sided, and 1,390 bilateral; p < 0.001 for chi-squared test comparing all three groups). Comorbidities were relatively similar in those with left-sided and right-sided DVT. Compared with those with left-sided DVT, patients with right-sided DVT had higher relative frequency of PE (26% versus 23%, p < 0.001) and 1-year mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.18). This difference in mortality did not persist after multivariable adjustment (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.93-1.1). Patients with bilateral DVT had a greater burden of comorbidities such as heart failure, and recent surgery compared with those with unilateral DVT (p < 0.001), and higher relative frequency of PE (48%), and 1-year mortality (24.1%). Worse outcomes in patients with bilateral DVT were attenuated but persisted after multivariable adjustment for demographics and risk factors (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.43-1.87). Patients with bilateral DVT had worse outcomes during and after discontinuation of anticoagulation. There is a left-sided preponderance for proximal lower-extremity DVT. Compared with those with left-sided DVT, patients with right-sided DVT have slightly higher rates of PE. Bilateral DVT is associated with markedly worse short-term and 1-year outcomes.

Predicting the risk of cancer after unprovoked venous thromboembolism: external validation of the RIETE score

Essentials Patients at high-risk of occult cancer may benefit from extensive screening. We validated the RIETE cancer score in the MVTEP study. One in three patients were classified as high-risk, 10% of whom had cancer diagnosed. The RIETE score identifies a subgroup at high risk for cancer.

SUMMARY

Background Most recent trials evaluating extensive screening strategies for occult cancer in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism have failed, because, among other reasons, of an overall low rate of occult cancer. The RIETE investigators recently proposed a score aimed at identifying a subgroup at higher risk. Methods We retrospectively computed the RIETE score for all patients included in the MVTEP study, which evaluated the accuracy of [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography in the screening of occult cancer in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism. Performance of the RIETE score was assessed according to the proportion of patients classified in each risk group, and the corresponding rates of cancer diagnosis. Results Among the 386 patients included in the analysis, 136 patients (35.3%) were classified as high risk by the RIETE score. Cancer was diagnosed in 16 (11.8%) of them, whereas it was diagnosed in nine (3.6%) of the 250 patients with a low RIETE cancer score: odds ratio of 3.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53-8.32). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.63 (95% CI 0.51-0.74). Conclusion The RIETE score seems to be able to identify a subgroup at high risk for cancer (10%) in our specific dataset of patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism.

Enhanced procoagulant activity of platelets after chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

The procoagulant status of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after chemotherapy is poorly characterized and the role of platelets in hypercoagulative state of NSCLC is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the procoagulant activity (PCA) of platelets in NSCLC before and after chemotherapy. The subjects were 52 patients newly diagnosed with NSCLC. The patients had decreased clotting time compared with healthy subjects, and the thrombin-antithrombin complex increased 2.5-fold after chemotherapy. Platelets in the patients after chemotherapy had enhanced phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, and shortened coagulation time as well as increased thrombin and fibrin formation of platelets compared with those before chemotherapy. Platelet-derived microparticles increased 2-fold at day 1 and peaked at day 2 post-chemotherapy. Treatment of cisplatin in vitro also resulted in upregulated intrinsic FXa and thrombin formation on platelets with a dose-dependent manner. Platelets treated with aspirin significantly decreased PCA. However, lactadherin blocked PS and inhibited the PCA approximately by 70%. Seven days after chemotherapy, PCA of platelets restored to the baseline as that before chemotherapy, indicating that within a week of chemotherapy patient platelets are highly procoagulant and effective intervention should be taken in case of thrombosis. Our results suggested that platelets after chemotherapy had elevated PCA and may contribute to the hypercoagulative state of NSCLC. Prophylactic anti-coagulant combined with anti-platelet therapy may play an inhibitory role in thrombotic complications in NSCLC.

Sex Differences in Patients With Occult Cancer After Venous Thromboembolism

In patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), male sex has been associated with an increased risk of occult cancer. The influence of sex on clinical characteristics, treatment, cancer sites, and outcome has not been thoroughly investigated yet. We used the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica registry to compare the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, cancer sites, and clinical outcomes in patients with VTE having occult cancer, according to sex. As of June 2014, 5864 patients were recruited, of whom 444 (7.6%; 95% confidence interval: 6.8-8.2) had occult cancer. Of these, 246 (55%) were men. Median time elapsed from VTE to occult cancer was 4 months (interquartile range: 2-8.4), with no sex differences. Women were older, weighed less, and were less likely to have chronic lung disease than men. The most common cancer sites were the lung (n = 63), prostate (n = 42), and colorectal (n = 29) in men and colorectal (n = 38), breast (n = 23), uterine (n = 18), hematologic (n = 17), or pancreas (n = 15) in women. Men were more likely to have lung cancer than women (2.18% vs 0.30%; P < .01) and less likely to have pancreatic cancer (0.17% vs 0.5%; P = .03). Interestingly, breast cancer was more likely found in women aged ≥50 years than in those aged <50 years (0.97% vs 0.14%; P = .03). This study highlights the existence of sex differences in patients with VTE having occult cancer. One in every 2 men had lung, prostate, or colorectal cancer. In women, there is a heterogeneity of cancer sites, increasing risk of breast cancer in those aged >50 years.

Occult cancer detection in venous thromboembolism: the past, the present, and the future

Unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be the first manifestation of an undiagnosed cancer. Recently published studies have suggested that approximately 4-5% of patients with new unprovoked VTE will be diagnosed with cancer within 12 months of follow-up. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to keep a low threshold of suspicion for occult cancer in this patient population. After an unprovoked VTE diagnosis, patients should undergo a thorough medical history, physical examination, basic laboratory investigations (ie, complete blood count and liver function tests), chest X-ray, as well as age- and gender-specific cancer screening (breast, cervical, colon, and prostate). More intensive cancer screening including additional investigations (eg, computed tomography of the abdomen/pelvis) does not seem to increase the rate of occult cancer detection, decrease cancer-related morbidity, or increase survival or cost-effectiveness.

Screening for cancer in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism: protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Occult cancer is present in 4%-9% of patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE). Screening for cancer may be considered in these patients, with the aim to diagnose cancers in an early, potentially curable stage. Information is needed about the risk of occult cancer, overall and in specific subgroups, additional risk factors and on the performance of different screening strategies.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL databases were searched from November 2007 to January 2016 for prospective studies that had evaluated protocol-mandated screening for cancer in patients with unprovoked VTE and with at least 12 months' follow-up. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for eligibility. Ten eligible studies were identified and individual patient data were obtained from each of them. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool . Generalised linear mixed-effects models was used to calculate estimates in a one-stage meta-analytic approach, overall and in a number of subgroups, including patients undergoing limited screening only, elderly patients, patients with previous VTE, smokers and patients using oestrogens.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. Findings have been submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences to provide clinicians and other decision-makers with valid and precise risk estimates of occult cancer, overall and in specific clinical subgroups, with risk factors for occult cancer, with estimates of the diagnostic performance of limited screening and with an exploration of the benefit of extensive screening strategies.

Occult cancer detection in patients with hemostatic disorder and venous thromboembolism

There are physiologic ties between Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) and circulating tumor cells. VWF appears to play a role in tumor biology, but it is unclear whether cancer behavior differs in Von Willebrand Disease. In patients presenting with venous thromboembolism (VTE), occult cancer is frequently considered as an underlying cause. The prevalence of occult cancer after provoked VTE is low (3%); therefore, cancer screening in these patients is not routinely recommended. In those with unprovoked VTE, occult cancer is more prevalent, estimated between 4 and 10%. Due to this elevated risk, occult cancer screening is recommended in this population. Multiple studies have investigated whether a "limited" approach (including history and physical exam, basic labs, and chest X-ray) versus "extensive" approach (addition of advanced imaging, such as computer tomography) is more effective. Current data fails to demonstrate extensive screening strategies diagnose more occult cancer, miss fewer cancers during follow up, or improve cancer-related mortality. Furthermore, many patients may be needlessly exposed to unnecessary diagnostic procedures with their associated complications and costs, as well as significant anxiety. Therefore, the decision to perform additional testing should be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional studies are needed to identify subgroups of patients with unprovoked VTE at highest risk for occult cancer.