Independent risk factors and the potential predictors of bladder cancer-related ischemic stroke

Platelet Parameters as Biomarkers for Thrombosis Risk in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is a major cause of both morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Platelet count has been investigated as a predictor of CAT in various settings while knowledge on platelet activation parameters is sparse. This report provides a systematic review and meta-analysis on available literature on associations between platelet count and/or function and arterial and venous thrombosis in adult cancer patients. The review was performed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. PubMed and Embase were searched up to March 2022. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's tools were used for quality assessment. In total, 100 studies were included which investigated the association between CAT and platelet count (n = 90), platelet indices (n = 19), and platelet function/activation markers (n = 13) in patients with solid cancers (n = 61), hematological cancers (n = 17), or mixed cancer types (n = 22). Eighty-one studies had venous thrombosis as their outcome measure, while 4 had arterial thrombosis and 15 studies had both. We found significantly elevated odds ratio of 1.50 (95% confidence interval: 1.19-1.88) for thrombosis with higher platelet counts. We saw a tendency toward an association between markers of platelet activation in forms of mean platelet volume and soluble P selectin and both arterial and venous thrombosis. Only one study investigated dynamic platelet function using flow cytometry. In conclusion, platelet count is associated with CAT across different cancer types and settings. Platelet function or activation marker analysis may be valuable in assisting thrombosis risk assessment in cancer patients but is sparsely investigated so far.

Diagnosing cancer-associated ischemic stroke: A systematic review of hematological biomarkers

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Patients suffering from cancer are reported to have an increased risk of ischemic stroke (IS). We aimed to identify cancer-associated biomarkers found to differentiate between IS associated with cancer from those not associated with cancer.

SUMMARY OF REVIEW

We performed a systematic search of PubMed and EMBASE databases according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The study is reported in PROSPERO (#CRD42022355129). In total, 5563 papers were screened, of which 49 papers were included. Seven biomarkers were identified which had the potential to differentiate between patients who had cancer or stroke or both conditions. D-dimer was the most frequently monitored biomarker, and high levels were significantly associated with cancer-related strokes in (42/44) studies. Fibrinogen was significantly associated with cancer-related strokes in 11/27 studies. A higher level of C-reactive protein, investigated in 19 studies, was associated with cancer-related strokes, but conclusive multivariate analysis was not performed. Finally, the four cancer-associated antigens CA125, CA153, CA199, and carcinoembryonic antigen were only reported on in three to six studies, respectively. These studies all originated from the Guangxi province in China. CA125 was associated with an increased risk of IS in four of six studies.

CONCLUSION

Increased D-dimer seems associated with cancer-related IS. CRP may also be a candidate as a cancer-associated stroke biomarker, but this requires further verification. Fibrinogen and the more specific cancer biomarkers have not yet been proven helpful for detecting cancer-related strokes.

The investigation on the hypercoagulability of hepatocellular carcinoma-related cerebral infarction with thromboelastography

AIM

To investigate the hypercoagulability of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-related cerebral infarction (HCRCI) with thromboelastography (TEG).

METHODS

A multicenter prospective study was conducted in HCRCI patients, HCC patients without cerebral infarction, and acute cerebral infarction (ACI) patients without HCC between January 2016 and December 2019. TEG parameters and laboratory and clinical data were collected and compared among the three groups. To confirm the independent risk factors of HCRCI, multivariate analyses were conducted. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to evaluate the area under the curve (AUC) plotted by each independent risk factor.

RESULTS

There were 38 patients recruited in the HCRCI group, and 152 patients were recruited to the HCC group and the ACI group. The levels of plasma neutrophil count, D-dimer, α-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen, and maximum amplitude (MA)-a parameter of TEG-were significantly higher in the HCRCI group than HCC and ACI groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increased neutrophile count, D-dimer, AFP, and MA were independently associated with HCRCI. ROC curve analysis showed first that AUC of MA for HCRCI was .875, which was larger than the other risk factors, and second that the optimal cutoff value for MA was 61.35, with a sensitivity of 89.50% and specificity of 66.40%.

CONCLUSION

It was suggested that TEG disclosed that the pathogenesis of HCRIC is exactly related to the hypercoagulability. And with a cutoff value of MA equaling to 61.35, TEG facilitates clinicians to identify HCC patients at high risk of HCRIC.

Trousseau's Syndrome Presenting as Multiple Cerebral Infarctions Caused by Mucin-producing Bladder Micropapillary Urothelial Cancer

We herein report a 70-year-old man with recurrent multiple cerebral infarctions under warfarin therapy who was finally diagnosed with Trousseau's syndrome resulting from advanced bladder cancer. A histological examination of the mesenteric lymph nodes revealed metastasis of micropapillary urothelial cancer with positive mucin markers CA125 and MUC1. Blood examinations also indicated elevated tumor markers, such as CA19-9 and CA125. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Trousseau's syndrome in a patient with bladder micropapillary urothelial cancer in which mucin involvement was clearly proven by histological and serological examinations.