ICH in primary or metastatic brain cancer patients with or without anticoagulant treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Treating cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: A practical approach

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and potentially life-threatening complication in patients with cancer. Both cancer and its treatments increase the risk of developing VTE. Specific cancer types and individual patient comorbidities increase the risk of developing cancer-associated VTE, and the risk of bleeding is increased with anticoagulation therapies. The aims of this article are to summarize the latest evidence for treating cancer-associated VTE, discuss the practical considerations involved, and share best practices for VTE treatment in patients with cancer. The article pays particular attention to challenging contexts including patients with brain, lung, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tumors and those with hematological malignancies. Furthermore, the article summarizes specific clinical scenarios that require additional treatment considerations, including extremes of body weight, nausea and gastrointestinal disturbances, compromised renal function, and anemia, and touches upon the relevance of drug-drug interactions. Historically, vitamin K antagonists and low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) have been used as therapy for cancer-associated VTE. The development of direct oral anticoagulants has provided additional treatment options, which, in certain instances, offer advantages over LMWHs. There are numerous factors that need to be considered when treating cancer-associated VTE, and although various treatment guidelines are helpful, they do not reflect each unique scenario that may arise in clinical practice. This article provides a summary of the latest evidence and a practical approach for treating cancer-associated VTE.

Antithrombotic Therapy in Cancer Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: Daily Practice Recommendations by the Hemostasis Working Party of the German Society of Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO) and the Society for Thrombosis and Hemostasis Research (GTH e.V.)

Active cancer by itself but also chemotherapy is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and especially coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The frequency of CVD, CAD, and AF varies depending on comorbidities (particularly in older patients), cancer type, and stage, as well as the anticancer therapeutic being taken. Many reports exist for anticancer drugs being associated with CVD, CAD, and AF, but robust data are often lacking. Because of this, each patient needs an individual structured approach concerning thromboembolic and bleeding risk, drug-drug interactions, as well as patient preferences to evaluate the need for anticoagulation therapy and targeting optimal symptom control. Interruption of specific cancer therapy should be avoided to reduce the potential risk of cancer progression. Nevertheless, additional factors like thrombocytopenia and anticoagulation in the elderly and frail patient with cancer cause additional challenges which need to be addressed in daily clinical management. Therefore, the aim of these recommendations is to summarize the available scientific data on antithrombotic therapy (both antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy) in cancer patients with CVD and in cases of missing data providing guidance for optimal careful decision-making in daily routine.

Practical guidance for direct oral anticoagulant use in the treatment of venous thromboembolism in primary and metastatic brain tumor patients

Management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors (BT) is challenging because of the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). There are no prospective clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), specifically in patients with BT, but they are widely used for VTE in this population. A group of neuro-oncology experts convened to provide practical clinical guidance for the off-label use of DOACs in treating VTE in patients with BT. We searched PubMed for the following terms: BTs, glioma, glioblastoma (GBM), brain metastasis, VTE, heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin (LWMH), DOACs, and ICH. Although prospective clinical trials are needed, the recommendations presented aim to assist clinicians in making informed decisions regarding DOACs for VTE in patients with BT.

[Translation into French and republication of: "Management of venous thromboembolic disease in patients with malignant brain tumours"]

This article addresses the management of venous thromboembolism in patients with malignant brain tumours, including both primary and secondary (metastatic) tumours. The available data on patients on venous thromboembolism recurrence and bleeding risks in patients with brain tumours is limited, since these patients have been excluded from most randomised, interventional, head-to-head, clinical trials comparing low molecular weight heparins to vitamin K antagonists or to direct oral factor Xa inhibitors. More information is available from retrospective observational studies, which however were generally small, and carried a high risk of confounding. Their findings suggest that direct factor Xa inhibitor use is associated with lower rates of intracranial haemorrhage compared with low molecular weight heparins. Overall, the safety profile of direct oral factor Xa inhibitors when used to prevent venous thromboembolism recurrence in patients with either primary or secondary brain tumours appears to be favourable. The available data are in favour of using an anticoagulant at a full therapeutic dose in patients with primary and secondary brain tumours experiencing a venous thromboembolism, although they are not yet sufficiently robust to permit recommending a direct factor Xa inhibitor over low-molecular weight heparin.

Anticoagulant prescribing patterns in patients with primary central nervous system malignancies and secondary metastases

To evaluate the safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in patients with central nervous system (CNS) malignancies and secondary metastases. All adult patients with CNS malignancies and secondary metastases who were treated with a DOAC or LMWH for any indication from 2018 to 2022 were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after anticoagulation initiation. Secondary outcomes included non-ICH bleeding events and thromboembolic events. Tolerability was assessed by any changes in anticoagulant therapy during study period. 153 patients were included; 48 patients received enoxaparin and 105 received DOACs, of which apixaban was used most commonly. The population was predominantly White (74%) and male (59%) with a median age of 65. Data was censored for immortal time bias for outcomes evaluated beyond 3 months. ICH occurred in 7.7% of the population, more frequently in the enoxaparin group (DOACs 4, 4% vs. enoxaparin 7, 16%, p = 0.037). Non-ICH bleeds were predominantly minor and more common in the DOAC group (DOACs 13, 13% vs. enoxaparin 1, 2%, p = 0.037). Thromboembolic events were not different between groups (DOACs 9. 9% vs, enoxaparin 2, 4%, p = 0.503). Anticoagulant switches occurred more in the enoxaparin group (DOACs 12, 12.4% vs. enoxaparin, 37.8%, p < 0.001), primarily due to patient or provider preference. Our data supports DOACs to be preferred over LMWH for the treatment of VTE or for stroke prevention with AF to prevent ICH in patients with brain tumors or metastases.

Acute pulmonary embolism and cancer: findings from the COPE study

BACKGROUND

Patients with acute venous thromboembolism associated with cancer have an increased risk of recurrences and bleeding in the long term.

RESEARCH QUESTION

To describe the clinical features and short-term course of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and active cancer, previous cancer or no cancer.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Patients with acute PE included in COPE-prospective, multicentre study of adult patients with acute, symptomatic, objectively diagnosed PE-were classified as having active cancer, previous cancer, or no cancer.

RESULTS

Overall, 832 patients had active cancer, 464 with previous cancer and 3660 patients had no cancer at the time of acute PE. The most prevalent primary sites of active cancer were urogenital (23.0%), gastrointestinal (21.0%), and lung (19.8%), with a high prevalence of metastatic disease (57.6%) and ongoing anticancer treatment (16.2%). At discharge, a direct oral anticoagulant was used in 43.1%, 78.8%, and 82.0% of patients with active cancer, previous cancer, and no cancer, respectively. Rates of death in-hospital and at 30 days were higher in patients with active cancer compared to patients with previous cancer and no cancer (7.9% vs. 4.3% vs. 2.2% and 13.8% vs. 5.2% vs. 2.6%, respectively). Rates of major bleeding were 4.8%, 2.6%, and 2.4%, respectively. Among patients with active cancer, lung or metastatic cancer were independent predictors of death; brain, hematological or gastrointestinal cancer had the highest risk of major bleeding.

INTERPRETATION

Among patients with acute PE, those with active cancer have high risks for death or major bleeding within 30 days. These risks vary based on primary site of cancer.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrial.gov identifier: NCT03631810.

Comparison of direct oral anticoagulants versus low-molecular-weight heparin in primary and metastatic brain cancers: a meta-analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND

The safety and efficacy of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for therapeutic anticoagulation in the setting of primary or metastatic brain cancer is not known.

OBJECTIVES

To conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review of studies that compare the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with brain cancer treated with DOACs vs low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH).

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Summary statistics were obtained by calculating the risk ratio (RR), and heterogeneity across studies was estimated using the I2 statistic. A total of 10 retrospective studies (n = 1638) met criteria for inclusion. The primary endpoint was the pooled RR for ICH in patients with brain tumors receiving anticoagulation with DOACs compared with those receiving LMWH. Secondary analyses included the risk of fatal ICH in each subgroup.

RESULTS

The pooled RR for ICH in patients receiving DOACs vs those receiving LMWH was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.36-1.17; P = .15; I2 = 50%). In studies evaluating primary brain cancer, there was a reduction in risk of ICH with DOACs (RR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.18-0.69; P = .003; I2 = 0%). In patients with metastatic brain cancer, there was no difference in the risk of ICH with the type of anticoagulation (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.71-1.56; P = .80; I2 = 0%). The overall risk of fatal ICH was not different between anticoagulants.

CONCLUSION

The risk of ICH in patients with brain cancer receiving therapeutic anticoagulation varies by anticoagulation agent and diagnosis of primary or metastatic disease.

Management of venous thromboembolic disease in patients with malignant brain tumours

This article addresses the management of venous thromboembolism in patients with malignant brain tumours, including both primary and secondary (metastatic) tumours. The available data on patients on venous thromboembolism recurrence and bleeding risks in patients with brain tumours is limited, since these patients have been excluded from most randomised, interventional, head-to-head, clinical trials comparing low molecular weight heparins to vitamin K antagonists or to direct oral Factor Xa inhibitors. More information is available from retrospective observational studies, which however were generally small, and carried a high risk of confounding. Their findings suggest that direct Factor Xa inhibitor use is associated with lower rates of intracranial haemorrhage compared with low molecular weight heparins. Overall, the safety profile of direct oral Factor Xa inhibitors when used to prevent venous thromboembolism recurrence in patients with either primary or secondary brain tumours appears to be favourable. The available data are in favour of using an anticoagulant at a full therapeutic dose in patients with primary and secondary brain tumours experiencing a venous thromboembolism, although they are not yet sufficiently robust to permit recommending a direct Factor Xa inhibitor over low-molecular weight heparin.

Ambulatory cancer patients: who should definitely receive antithrombotic prophylaxis and who should never receive

Up to 15-20% of cancer patients experience one or more episodes of venous thromboembolism during cancer disease. Approximately 80% of all cancer-associated venous thromboembolic events occur in non-hospitalized patients. Routine thromboprophylaxis for outpatients with cancer who start new anticancer treatment is currently not recommended by the international guidelines due to the high heterogeneity of these patients in terms of VTE or bleeding risks, the difficulties in selecting patients at high risk, and the uncertainty of duration of prophylaxis. Although the international guidelines endorsed the Khorana score for estimating the thrombotic risk in ambulatory cancer patients, the discriminatory performance of this score is not completely convincing and varies according to the cancer type. Consequently, a minority of ambulatory patients with cancer receive an accurate screening for primary prophylaxis of VTE. The aim of this review is to provide support to physicians in identifying those ambulatory patients with cancer for whom thromboprophylaxis should be prescribed and those that should not be candidate to thromboprophylaxis. In absence of high bleeding risk, primary thromboprophylaxis should be recommended in patients with pancreatic cancer and, probably, in patients with lung cancer harboring ALK/ROS1 translocations. Patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers are at high risk of VTE, but a careful assessment of bleeding risk should be made before deciding on antithrombotic prophylaxis. Primary prevention of VTE is not recommended in cancer patients at increased risk of bleeding as patients with brain cancer, with moderate-to-severe thrombocytopenia or severe renal impairment.

Treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: A focus on special populations

Current evidence-based clinical practice guidelines recommend the use of both low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and direct factor Xa inhibitors (apixapan, edoxaban and rivaroxaban) as first-line options for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with cancer. However, most of these guidelines refer to the general cancer patient population and provide limited guidance for specific subgroups of patients at particularly high risk of bleeding, such as those with gastrointestinal cancers, primary or metastatic brain tumors, thrombocytopenia, or renal impairment. In these complex populations, the management of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) poses unique challenges and requires a nuanced approach based on the primum non nocere principle. This comprehensive review critically examines the relevant literature and discusses the therapeutic options currently available for the management of CAT in these special situations.

Epidemiology, biology, and management of venous thromboembolism in gliomas: An interdisciplinary review

Patients with diffuse glioma are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) over the course of the disease, with up to 30% incidence in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) and a lower but nonnegligible risk in lower-grade gliomas. Recent and ongoing efforts to identify clinical and laboratory biomarkers of patients at increased risk offer promise, but to date, there is no proven role for prophylaxis outside of the perioperative period. Emerging data suggest a higher risk of VTE in patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioma and the potential mechanistic role of IDH mutation in the suppression of production of the procoagulants tissue factor and podoplanin. According to published guidelines, therapeutic anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or alternatively, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients without increased risk of gastrointestinal or genitourinary bleeding is recommended for VTE treatment. Due to the elevated risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in GBM, anticoagulation treatment remains challenging and at times fraught. There are conflicting data on the risk of ICH with LMWH in patients with glioma; small retrospective studies suggest DOACs may convey lower ICH risk than LMWH. Investigational anticoagulants that prevent thrombosis without impairing hemostasis, such as factor XI inhibitors, may carry a better therapeutic index and are expected to enter clinical trials for cancer-associated thrombosis.

Acute venous thromboembolism in patients with brain cancer: clinical course

Background

Patients with brain cancer have been excluded or were underrepresented in studies on the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), mainly due to the fear of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH).

Objectives

The aim of this study was to provide data on the risk of ICH, recurrent VTE, and major bleeding in patients with active brain cancer.

Methods

This was a multicenter, international cohort study at participating sites of the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad Tromboembólica Registry. Patients included in this study were classified as having known active brain cancer, active nonbrain cancer, or without active cancer. ICH at 3 months was the primary study outcome.

Results

Overall, 98,377 patients with VTE were included: 616 with active brain cancer, 16,807 with active nonbrain cancer, and 80,954 without active cancer. At 3 months follow-up, ICH occurred in 2.8%, 0.3%, and 0.2% of the patients, respectively, and was fatal in 1.3%, 0.2%, and 0.1%, respectively. Both rates of major bleeding (3.7% vs 3.2% vs 1.5%, respectively) and recurrent VTE (3.9% vs 3.4% vs 1.1%, respectively) were higher in patients with brain or nonbrain cancer than in patients without cancer. Glioblastomas were associated with a numerically higher risk of ICH, fatal ICH, and recurrent VTE than other brain tumors.

Conclusion

In patients with VTE, active brain cancer was associated with a higher risk of ICH or fatal ICH than nonbrain or no active cancer. Further studies are needed to assess the value of different treatment approaches in patients with brain cancer and VTE.

Risk of intracranial hemorrhage with direct oral anticoagulation versus low molecular weight heparin in the treatment of brain tumor-associated venous thromboembolism: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are effective in treating cancer-related thrombosis and are superior to low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in terms of efficacy. The effects of DOACs or LMWH on intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) remain uncertain in individuals with brain tumors. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the frequency of ICH in individuals with brain tumors treated with DOACs or LMWH.

METHODS

Two independent investigators reviewed all studies that compared the frequency of ICH in patients with brain tumors who received DOACs or LMWH. The primary outcome was the incidence of ICH. We used the Mantel-Haenszel method to estimate the combined effect and calculated 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

This study encompassed six articles. The results indicated that cohorts treated with DOAC experienced much fewer instances of ICH compared to the LMWH cohorts (relative risk [RR] 0.39; 95% CI 0.23-0.65; P = 0.0003; I2 = 0%). The same effect was observed for the prevalence of major ICH (RR 0.34; 95% CI 0.12-0.97; P = 0.04; I2 = 0%), but there was no difference for fatal ICH. Subgroup analysis indicated that DOACs had a substantially reduced incidence of ICH in primary brain tumors (RR 0.18; 95% CI 0.06-0.50; P = 0.001; I2 = 0%), but had no impact on ICH with secondary brain tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis showed that DOACs are associated with a lower risk of ICH than LMWH therapy in treating venous thromboembolism associated with brain tumors, especially in patients with primary brain tumors.