Venous thromboembolism in patients with esophageal or gastric cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Identification of Thrombosis-Related Genes in Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer: Data from AGAMENON-SEOM Registry

Advanced gastric cancer is one of the most thrombogenic neoplasms. However, genetic mechanisms underlying this complication remain obscure, and the molecular and histological heterogeneity of this neoplasm hinder the identification of thrombotic biomarkers. Therefore, our main objective was to identify genes related to thrombosis regardless of Lauren subtypes. Furthermore, in a secondary exploratory study, we seek to discover thrombosis-associated genes that were specific to each TCGA molecular subtype. We designed a nested case-control study using the cohort of the AGAMENON national advanced gastric cancer registry. Ninety-seven patients were selected—48 with and 49 without venous thromboembolism (using propensity score matching to adjust for confounding factors)—and a differential gene expression array stratified by Lauren histopathological subtypes was carried out in primary tumor samples. For the secondary objective, the aforementioned differential expression analysis was conducted for each TCGA group. Fifteen genes were determined to be associated with thrombosis with the same expression trend in both the intestinal and diffuse subtypes. In thrombotic subjects, CRELD1, KCNH8, CRYGN, MAGEB16, SAA1, ARL11, CCDC169, TRMT61A, RIPPLY3 and PLA2G6 were underexpressed (adjusted-p < 0.05), while PRKD3, MIR5683, SDCBP, EPS8 and CDC45 were overexpressed (adjusted-p < 0.05), and correlated, by logistic regression, with lower or higher thrombotic risk, respectively, in the overall cohort. In each TCGA molecular subtype, we identified a series of genes differentially expressed in thrombosis that appear to be subtype-specific. We have identified several genes associated with venous thromboembolism in advanced gastric cancer that are common to Lauren intestinal and diffuse subtypes. Should these genetic factors be validated in the future, they could be complemented with existing clinical models to bolster the ability to predict thrombotic risk in individuals with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.

Predictors for thromboembolism in patients with cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Patients with cancer are at increased risk of thromboembolic events contributing significantly to cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Because cholangiocarcinoma is a rare type of cancer, the incidence of thromboembolism in this patient population is not well defined.

METHODS

Patients with cholangiocarcinoma treated at the University Cancer Center Leipzig between January 2014 and December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively regarding the incidence of arterial and venous thromboembolism.

RESULTS

A total of 133 newly and consecutively diagnosed patients were included, of whom 22% had stage IV disease. Thromboembolism was diagnosed in 39 (29.3%), with 48% of the events occurring between 60 days prior and 30 days after the initial diagnosis. Arterial thrombosis accounted for 19% and portal venous thrombosis for 33% of the events, while the rest of events occurred in the non-portal venous system. In multivariable analysis, an ONKOTEV score ≥ 2 was the only independent predictor for thromboembolism. Serum CA 19-9 was available in 87 patients (65.4%). In this subgroup, CA 19-9 above the median of 97.7 U/ml and vascular or lymphatic compression were independent predictors for thromboembolism in the first year and CA 19-9 alone remained a significant predictor over the whole observation period. An ONKOTEV score ≥ 2 and increasing age were predictors of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

A very high thromboembolic risk was observed in cholangiocarcinoma, comparable to the risk situation in pancreatic and gastric cancer. The ONKOTEV score and serum CA 19-9 are independent predictors of thromboembolic events. Prospective validation of our observations in this patient population is warranted.

Significance of D-dimer-based screening for detecting pre-operative venous thromboembolism in patients with esophageal cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

A limited number of studies have evaluated the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for esophageal cancer and the efficacy of a D-dimer (DD)-based VTE screening (DBS). In the present study, we aimed to clarify the changes in DD levels and the effectiveness of DBS.

METHODS

We included 234 patients who underwent esophagectomy between August 2017 and July 2019 and evaluated the changes in DD levels before and after NAC. We had introduced the DBS strategy in August 2018, in which we recommended ultrasound (US) of the leg or computed tomography (CT) with the deep vein thrombosis (DVT) protocol. We then evaluated the incidence of VTE detected by DBS compared with that in the clinical practice as a control.

RESULTS

The DD levels were significantly increased after NAC. After the introduction of DBS, the proportion of patients who underwent US and CT after NAC was significantly increased. VTE was more frequently detected in the DBS group than in the control group (16.7% vs. 3.0%, p < 0.02) among patients who underwent NAC. Pulmonary embolism (PE) during NAC was also more frequent in the DBS than in the control group (7.6% vs. 1.5%, p = 0.06). The DD levels after NAC were significantly higher in patients with VTE than in those without.

CONCLUSIONS

NAC for patients with esophageal cancer increases the risk of developing VTE. DBS is useful in identifying asymptomatic DVT and may contribute to improving patient safety.

Platelets in aging and cancer-"double-edged sword"

Platelets control hemostasis and play a key role in inflammation and immunity. However, platelet function may change during aging, and a role for these versatile cells in many age-related pathological processes is emerging. In addition to a well-known role in cardiovascular disease, platelet activity is now thought to contribute to cancer cell metastasis and tumor-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) development. Worldwide, the great majority of all patients with cardiovascular disease and some with cancer receive anti-platelet therapy to reduce the risk of thrombosis. However, not only do thrombotic diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, cancer, especially metastasis, is still the second cause of death worldwide. Understanding how platelets change during aging and how they may contribute to aging-related diseases such as cancer may contribute to steps taken along the road towards a "healthy aging" strategy. Here, we review the changes that occur in platelets during aging, and investigate how these versatile blood components contribute to cancer progression.

Paraneoplastic Thromboembolism and Thrombophilia: Significance in Visceral Medicine

Background

Venous (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE) are frequent complications of cancer. Risk assessment models (RAM) for stratification of the thrombotic risk in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer have several limitations.

Summary

While pancreatic and stomach cancer are considered very high risk in all RAM, the risk of colorectal cancer differs between RAM, and esophageal cancer and cholangiocarcinoma were underrepresented or not included in any RAM. In addition, up to 49% of patients with pancreatic cancer develop splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT). Prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) in ambulatory cancer patients is associated with a positive risk-benefit ratio only in high-risk patients and LMWH have been the standard of care for the treatment of cancer-associated VTE and SVT over the last years. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have been shown to be equally effective compared to LMWH, but bleedings from the GI tract are more frequent. Therefore, recent guidelines suggest the use of DOAC for VTE treatment and for prophylaxis in ambulatory patients at high risk for VTE, but patients at high risk for bleeding, especially with active luminal cancer, should receive LMWH.

Key Messages

This review discusses RAM and the current options for prophylaxis and treatment of cancer-associated ATE, VTE, and SVT focusing on GI cancers.

Incidence of cancer-associated thromboembolism in Japanese gastric and colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a single-institutional retrospective cohort analysis (Sapporo CAT study)

OBJECTIVE

Few data regarding the incidence of cancer-associated thromboembolism (TE) are available for Asian populations. We investigated the incidence of TE (TEi) and its risk factors among gastric and colorectal cancer (GCC) patients received chemotherapy in a daily practice setting.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

A single-institutional study that used data from Sapporo City General Hospital, Japan, on patients treated between January 2008 and May 2015.

PARTICIPANTS

Five hundred Japanese GCC patients who started chemotherapy from January 2008 to May 2015.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

TE was diagnosed by reviewing all the reports of contrast-enhanced CT performed during the follow-up period. All types of thrombosis detected by CT or additional imaging tests, such as venous TE, arterial TE and cerebral infarction, were defined as TE. Medical records of all identified patients were reviewed and potential risk factors for TE, including clinicopathological backgrounds, were collected. We defined the following patients as 'active cancer'; patients with unresectable advanced GCC, cancer recurrence during or after completing adjuvant chemotherapy and/or presence of other malignant tumours.

RESULTS

Of the 500 patients, 70 patients (14.0%) developed TE during the follow-up period. TEi was 9.2% and 17.3% in GCC patients, 18.1% and 3.5% in active and non-active cancer patients, and 24.0% and 12.9% in multiple and single primary, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that colorectal cancer (CRC) (OR 2.371; 95% CI 1.328 to 4.233), active cancer (OR 7.593; 95% CI 2.950 to 19.543) and multiple primary (OR 2.527; 95% CI 1.189 to 5.370) were independently associated with TEi.

CONCLUSION

TEi was 14.0% among Japanese GCC patients received chemotherapy, and was significantly higher among patients with CRC, active cancer and multiple primary than among those with gastric cancer, non-active cancer and single primary, respectively.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000018912.

Venous Thromboembolism Is an Independent Predictor of Mortality Among Patients with Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an independent predictor of death among patients with cancer. Patients with gastric cancer (GC) are at higher risk for VTE when compared to other solid tumors, and if one considers its prevalence, GC may be responsible for one of the highest incidences of cancer-associated thrombosis. The impact of VTE on mortality is not well defined among patients with GC.

AIM

The aim of this study is to measure the impact of VTE as independent predictor of GC mortality.

METHODS

Chart review of patients with GC treated in the Department of Oncology at John Stroger Hospital between the years of 2010 and 2015. VTE events were objectively confirmed with imaging in all cases. Active GC was defined as biopsy-proven metastatic disease or on active chemotherapy. Along with cancer-specific data, we abstracted risk assessments tools, non-GC-specific, validated for VTE and mortality prediction cancer, including the Khorana score (KRS), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Continuous variables are expressed by the median as appropriate according to normality. Categorical variables are expressed as percentages. SPSS version 22 was used and chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Kaplan-Meier curve, and Cox proportional hazard with forward modeling were applied.

RESULTS

We included 112 patients in the analysis. The patients were predominantly men (66%), 58-year-old, with adenocarcinoma (84%) and advanced disease (59%). The median follow-up was 21.3 months (IQR 8.9-42.4). Cumulative incidence of VTE at 1 year was 9%. The median time from diagnosis to VTE occurrence was 59 days (IQR 36 to 258). Patients with VTE had worse OS when compared to the non-VTE group (medians 11.87 vs 29.97 months, p = 0.02). Patients stratified as high risk by the PLR had worse OS (medians 22.6 vs 42.77 months, p = 0.02). There was no statistical difference in OS among patients stratified as high risk by the KRS (medians 23.7 vs 42.5, p = 0.16) and NLR (medians 24.1 vs 42.7 months, p = 0.21). In multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of mortality were VTE (hazard ratio (HR), 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4 to 6.6; p < 0.01), adenocarcinoma (HR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.1 to 9.0; p = 0.03), advanced disease (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4 to 5.8; p < 0.01), and PLR (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.8; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

VTE is associated with worse survival among patients with GC along with adenocarcinoma, advanced disease, and PLR. Moreover, these findings were independent of other cancer- and treatment-specific variables. Although potentially predictive in other cancer types, NLR and KRS were not associated with worse survival in this cohort.

Facing the challenge of venous thromboembolism prevention in patients undergoing major abdominal surgical procedures for gastrointestinal cancer

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) refers to a hypercoagulable state that remains an important and preventable factor in the surgical treatment of malignancies. VTE includes two identical entities with regards to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The incidence of VTE after major abdominal interventions for gastro-intestinal, hepato-biliary and pancreatic neoplastic disorders is as high as 25% without prophylaxis. Prophylactic use of classic or low-molecular-weight heparin, anti-Xa factors, antithrombotic stocking, intermittent pneumatic compression devices and early mobilization have been described. Nevertheless, thromboprophylaxis is often discontinued after discharge, although a serious risk may persist long after the initial triggering event, as the coagulation system remains active for at least 14 d post-operatively. The aim of this review is to evaluate the results of the current practice of VTE prevention in cancer patients undergoing major abdominal surgical operations, with special attention to adequately elucidated guidelines and widely accepted protocols. In addition, the recent literature is presented in order to provide an update on the current concepts concerning the surgical management of the disease.

Radical Gastrectomy: Still the Cornerstone of Curative Treatment for Gastric Cancer in the Perioperative Chemotherapy Era-A Single Institute Experience over a Decade

Background and Objectives

Most gastric cancer patients now undergo perioperative chemotherapy (POCT) based on the MAGIC trial results. POCT consists of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) as well as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. This study assessed the applicability of perioperative chemotherapy and the impact of radical gastrectomy encompassing a detailed lymph-node resection on outcomes of gastric cancer.

Methods

Medical and pathology records of all gastric carcinoma resections were reviewed from 2006 onwards. Pathological details, number of lymph-nodes resected, and proportion of involved nodes, reasons for nonadministration of NACT, complications, recurrence, and survival data were analysed.

Results

Only twenty-eight (37.8%) out of 74 patients underwent NACT and only nine completed POCT. NACT was declined due to comorbidities/patient refusal n = 24, early stage n = 14, and emergency presentation n = 8. Patients receiving NACT were much younger. Anastomotic leaks, hospital-mortality, lymph-node yield, and proportion of involved lymph-nodes were similar in both groups. Thirty-two patients died due to recurrence with lymph-node involvement heralding higher recurrence risk and much poorer survival (HR 2.66; p = 0.013).

Conclusion

More than 60% patients with resectable gastric carcinoma did not undergo NACT. Radical gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy remained the cornerstone of treatment in this period.