Quality of life in oncological patients with venous thromboembolic disease.

Venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) is a significant medical problem in cancer patients, as it is associated with substantial morbidity and increased mortality. Cancer survivors with VTE experience important changes in their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Over the past few years, HRQOL and its measurement have been incorporated in clinical studies of anticoagulation therapy, as well as in qualitative and quantitative studies for the examination of the impact of VTE in cancer patients. While there are several tools available to assess HRQOL, few are specific to cancer patients and VTE. More importantly, those same tools are yet to be incorporated in routine clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to describe the available tools for the assessment of HRQOL in cancer patients with a focus on VTE, as well as the characteristics of those tools, their strengths, limitations, and potential applicability in clinical practice.

Safety of treating acute pulmonary embolism at home: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Home treatment is considered safe in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients selected by a validated triage tool (e.g. simplified PE severity index score or Hestia rule), but there is uncertainty regarding the applicability in underrepresented subgroups. The aim was to evaluate the safety of home treatment by performing an individual patient-level data meta-analysis. METHODS: Ten prospective cohort studies or randomized controlled trials were identified in a systematic search, totalling 2694 PE patients treated at home (discharged within 24 h) and identified by a predefined triage tool. The 14- and 30-day incidences of all-cause mortality and adverse events (combined endpoint of recurrent venous thromboembolism, major bleeding, and/or all-cause mortality) were evaluated. The relative risk (RR) for 14- and 30-day mortalities and adverse events is calculated in subgroups using a random effects model. RESULTS: The 14- and 30-day mortalities were 0.11% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0-0.24, I2 = 0) and 0.30% (95% CI 0.09-0.51, I2 = 0). The 14- and 30-day incidences of adverse events were 0.56% (95% CI 0.28-0.84, I2 = 0) and 1.2% (95% CI 0.79-1.6, I2 = 0). Cancer was associated with increased 30-day mortality [RR 4.9; 95% prediction interval (PI) 2.7-9.1; I2 = 0]. Pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease, abnormal troponin, and abnormal (N-terminal pro-)B-type natriuretic peptide [(NT-pro)BNP] at presentation were associated with an increased incidence of 14-day adverse events [RR 3.5 (95% PI 1.5-7.9, I2 = 0), 2.5 (95% PI 1.3-4.9, I2 = 0), and 3.9 (95% PI 1.6-9.8, I2 = 0), respectively], but not mortality. At 30 days, cancer, abnormal troponin, and abnormal (NT-pro)BNP were associated with an increased incidence of adverse events [RR 2.7 (95% PI 1.4-5.2, I2 = 0), 2.9 (95% PI 1.5-5.7, I2 = 0), and 3.3 (95% PI 1.6-7.1, I2 = 0), respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of adverse events in home-treated PE patients, selected by a validated triage tool, was very low. Patients with cancer had a three- to five-fold higher incidence of adverse events and death. Patients with increased troponin or (NT-pro)BNP had a three-fold higher risk of adverse events, driven by recurrent venous thromboembolism and bleeding.

Evolution of Complexity of Palliative Care Needs and Patient Profiles According to the PALCOM Scale (Part Two): Pooled Analysis of the Cohorts for the Development and Validation of the PALCOM Scale in Advanced Cancer Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Identifying the complexity of palliative care needs is a key aspect of referral to specialized multidisciplinary early palliative care (EPC) teams. The PALCOM scale is an instrument consisting of five multidimensional assessment domains developed in 2018 and validated in 2023 to identify the level of complexity in patients with advanced cancer. (1) Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the degree of instability (likelihood of level change or death), health resource consumption and the survival of patients according to the level of palliative complexity assigned at the baseline visit during a 6-month follow-up. (2) Method: An observational, prospective, multicenter study was conducted using pooled data from the development and validation cohort of the PALCOM scale. The main outcome variables were as follows: (a) instability ratio (IR), defined as the probability of level change or death; (b) emergency department visits; (c) days of hospitalization; (d) hospital death; (e) survival. All the variables were analyzed monthly according to the level of complexity assigned at the baseline visit. (3) Results: A total of 607 patients with advanced cancer were enrolled. According to the PALCOM scale, 20% of patients were classified as low complexity, 50% as medium and 30% as high complexity. The overall IR was 45% in the low complexity group, 68% in the medium complexity group and 78% in the high complexity group (p < 0.001). No significant differences in mean monthly emergency department visits (0.2 visits/ patient/month) were observed between the different levels of complexity. The mean number of days spent in hospital per month was 1.5 in the low complexity group, 1.8 in the medium complexity group and 3.2 in the high complexity group (p < 0.001). The likelihood of in-hospital death was significantly higher in the high complexity group (29%) compared to the medium (16%) and low (8%) complexity groups (p < 0.001). Six-month survival was significantly lower in the high complexity group (24%) compared to the medium (37%) and low (57%) complexity groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the PALCOM scale, more complex cases are associated with greater instability and use of hospital resources and lower survival. The data also confirm that the PALCOM scale is a consistent and useful tool for describing complexity profiles, targeting referrals to the EPC and managing the intensity of shared care.

Characterisation and Outcomes of Patients with Solid Organ Malignancies Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: Mortality and Impact on Functional Status and Oncological Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing number of ICU admissions among patients with solid tumours, there is a lack of tools with which to identify patients who may benefit from critical support. We aim to characterize the clinical profile and outcomes of patients with solid malignancies admitted to the ICU. METHODS: Retrospective observational study of patients with cancer non-electively admitted to the ICU of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Spain) between January 2019 and December 2019. Data regarding patient and neoplasm characteristics, ICU admission features and outcomes were collected from medical records. RESULTS: 97 ICU admissions of 84 patients were analysed. Lung cancer (22.6%) was the most frequent neoplasm. Most of the patients had metastatic disease (79.5%) and were receiving oncological treatment (75%). The main reason for ICU admission was respiratory failure (38%). Intra-ICU and in-hospital mortality rates were 9.4% and 24%, respectively. Mortality rates at 1, 3 and 6 months were 19.6%, 36.1% and 53.6%. Liver metastasis, gastrointestinal cancer, hypoalbuminemia, elevated basal C-reactive protein, ECOG-PS greater than 2 at ICU admission, admission from ward and an APACHE II score over 14 were related to higher mortality. Functional status was severely affected at discharge, and oncological treatment was definitively discontinued in 40% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Medium-term mortality and functional deterioration of patients with solid cancers non-electively admitted to the ICU are high. Surrogate markers of cachexia, liver metastasis and poor ECOG-PS at ICU admission are risk factors for mortality.

A prospective, real-world, multinational study of febrile neutropenia (FN) occurrence in oncology patients receiving chemotherapy with intermediate risk of FN: a MASCC Neutropenia, Infection, and Myelosuppression Study Group initiative.

PURPOSE: Limited knowledge is available on the incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) in intermediate-risk patients and the rationale for use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in these patients. We aimed to estimate the rate at which patients associated with intermediate risk (10-20%) of FN would develop ≥ 1 episode of FN with a commonly used chemotherapy regimen in clinical practice. METHODS: This prospective, real-world, observational, multinational, multicenter study (December 2016-October 2019) recruited patients with solid tumors or Hodgkin's/non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Patients receiving chemotherapy with intermediate risk of FN, but not G-CSF as primary prophylaxis were included and observed for the duration of the chemotherapy (≤ 6 cycles and ≤ 30 days after the last chemotherapy administration). RESULTS: In total, 364 patients (median age, 56 years) with 1601 cycles of chemotherapy were included in the analysis. The incidence of FN was 5% in cycle 1, 3% in cycles 2-3, and 1% in cycles 4-6. The rate of patients with ≥ 1 episode of FN was 9%, and 59% of FN events were reported during cycle 1. The rate of grade 4 neutropenia in cycle 1 was 11%, and 15% of patients experienced ≥ 1 episode of grade 4 neutropenia. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the incidence of FN was low, with a high incidence in cycle 1 and a decrease in the subsequent cycles. These results provide the real FN risk for common chemotherapy regimens in patients generally excluded from clinical trials. Prophylactic G-CSF in intermediate-risk patients could be considered as per clinician's judgement.

Cancer-associated splanchnic vein thrombosis: Clinical features upon diagnosis and short-term outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) in cancer patients has increased in recent years and its real clinical significance and management can be challenging. This study aimed to describe the clinical presentation and short-term outcomes of patients with cancer-associated SVT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study of consecutive patients with cancer-associated SVT diagnosed during the period 2015-2020. The primary objective was to describe the clinical presentation of SVT. Patients were clinically classified into two groups based on the presence of symptoms on SVT diagnosis. The main outcomes were overall and SVT-related mortality, major and non-major bleeding rates, and the thrombosis recurrence rate in the first 30 days of follow-up. RESULTS: This study enrolled 203 patients. Intra-abdominal tumors (76 %) and metastatic disease (68 %) predominated. A total of 79 (39 %) patients without symptoms were diagnosed with SVT during a scheduled radiological test and were classified as "asymptomatic", while 124 (61 %) patients presented some potential SVT symptoms and were considered as "symptomatic". Although the 30-day outcomes showed no significant differences between the two groups, mortality in the asymptomatic group was slightly lower compared to the symptomatic group (3 % vs. 10 %, p = 0.085). CONCLUSIONS: Almost 40 % of cases of cancer-associated SVT are asymptomatic. There were no significant differences in short-term outcomes between the symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. More studies are required to better define long-term management and outcomes in these patients.

The need for ambulatory emergency oncology: exemplified by the management of immune checkpoint inhibitor toxicity.

Cancer patients seeking emergency care can be vulnerable in increasingly overcrowded Emergency Departments and timely delivery of care is often aspirational rather than reality in many acute care systems. Ambulatory emergency care and its various international models are recognized as contributing to the safety and sustainability of emergency care services. This schema can logically be extended to the emergency oncology setting. The recent proliferation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has led to another opportunity for the management of oncologic complications in the ambulatory emergency care setting. More nuanced risk stratification of currently perceived high-risk toxicities may also afford the opportunity to personalize acute management. Virtual wards, which predominantly provide virtual monitoring only, and hospital at home services, which provide more comprehensive in-person assessment and interventions, may be well suited to supporting care for ICI toxicity alongside hospital-based assessment. Emergency management guidelines for immune-mediated toxicities will increasingly need to be both pragmatic and deliverable, especially as larger numbers of patients will present outside cancer centers. Identifying and modelling those suitable for emergency ambulatory care is integral to achieving this.

Measurement of adherence and health-related quality of life during anticoagulation therapy in cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE): a multicenter quantitative study.

PURPOSE: Therapy for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes long-term anticoagulation, which may have substantial impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients. We assessed patient-reported outcomes to characterize the HRQL associated with VTE treatment and to begin to examine those HRQL elements impacting anticoagulation adherence (AA). METHODS: Participants were adult cancer patients with confirmed symptomatic acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. Patients were excluded if there was an indication for anticoagulation other than VTE, ECOG performance status >3, or life expectancy < 3 months. Participants were assessed with a self-reported adherence tool. HRQL was measured with a 6-domain questionnaire using a seven-point Likert scale. Evaluations were performed at 30 days and 3 months after enrollment. For the primary objective, an overall adherence rate was calculated at each time point of evaluation. For the HRQL domains, non-parametric testing was used to compare results between subgroups. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were enrolled. AA and HRQL at 30 days and 3 months were assessed in 50 and 36 participants, respectively. At 30 days the AA rate was 90%, and at 3 months it was 83%. In regard to HRQL, patients suffered frequent and moderate-severe distress in the domains of emotional and physical symptoms, sleep disturbance, and limitations to physical activity. An association between emotional or physical distress and AA was observed. CONCLUSION: Patients with VTE suffer a substantial impairment of their HRQL. Increased emotional distress correlated with better long-term AA. These results can be used to inform additional research aimed at developing novel strategies to improve AA.

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.

Validation Study of the PALCOM Scale of Complexity of Palliative Care Needs: A Cohort Study in Advanced Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: In a patient-centred model of care, referral to early palliative care (EPC) depends on both the prognosis and the complexity of care needs. The PALCOM scale is a 5-domain multidimensional assessment tool developed to identify the level of complexity of palliative care needs of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to validate the PALCOM scale. PATIENT AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of cancer patients to compare the PALCOM scale and expert empirical assessment (EA) of the complexity of palliative care needs. The EA had to categorise patients according to their complexity, considering that medium to high levels required priority attention from specialist EPC teams, while those with low levels could be managed by non-specialist teams. Systematically collected multidimensional variables were recorded in an electronic report form and stratified by level of complexity and rating system (PALCOM scale versus EA). The correlation rank (Kendall's tau test) and accuracy test (F1-score) between the two rating systems were analysed. ROC curve analysis was used to determine the predictive power of the PALCOM scale. RESULTS: A total of 283 advanced cancer patients were included. There were no significant differences in the frequency of the levels of complexity between the EA and the PALCOM scale (low 22.3-23.7%; medium 57.2-59.0%; high 20.5-17.3%). The prevalence of high symptom burden, severe pain, functional impairment, socio-familial risk, existential/spiritual problems, 6-month mortality and in-hospital death was significantly higher (p < 0.001) at the high complexity levels in both scoring systems. Comparative analysis showed a high correlation rank and accuracy between the two scoring systems (Kendall's tau test 0.81, F1 score 0.84). The predictive ability of the PALCOM scale was confirmed by an area under the curve in the ROC analysis of 0.907 for high and 0.902 for low complexity. CONCLUSIONS: In a patient-centred care model, the identification of complexity is a key point to appropriate referral and management of shared care with EPC teams. The PALCOM scale is a high precision tool for determining the level of complexity of palliative care needs.

Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Adherence to Clinical Practice Guidelines Recommendations, Retrieval Rates, and Filter Complications in a Tertiary Hospital.

The present study evaluated the adherence to guideline recommendations regarding the indication for inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) placement, retrieval rates, complications, thrombotic recurrences, and mortality. Patients in whom an IVCF was placed between 2015 and 2020 in a tertiary hospital were retrospectively included. We considered absolute indication of IVCF placement if all the guidelines evaluated agreed on the indication, relative indication if only some guidelines recommended it and without indication if none of the evaluated guidelines recommended it. From the 185 patients included; 47% had an absolute indication, 15% a relative indication, and 38% had no indication. Filter-associated complications and non-removal rates were 12.4% and 41%, respectively. Venous thromboembolism recurrence rate was 17.8%, being filter-associated complications (24.2 vs 9.8%, P = .02) and thrombosis of the inferior cava or iliac veins (12.1 vs 2.6%, P = .03) more frequent in this group. The mortality rate was 40%, with higher mortality risk in patients with co-existing cancer. Previous major bleeding, filter-associated complications, and mortality were associated with a major risk of non-removal. In conclusion, the adherence to guidelines regarding the indication of IVCF placement is still low and IVCF complications are not negligible. This fact is of special concern in the elderly, comorbid, and cancer patients.

Three-Month Outcomes in Cancer Patients with Superficial or Deep Vein Thrombosis in the Lower Limbs: Results from the RIETE Registry.

BACKGROUND: The clinical characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients with lower-limb isolated superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) have not been consistently evaluated. METHODS: We used data in the RIETE registry to compare the clinical characteristics and 90-day outcomes for patients with: (1) active cancer and lower-limb SVT; (2) active cancer and lower-limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT); (3) lower-limb SVT without cancer. The primary outcomes included subsequent symptomatic SVT, DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE). Secondary outcomes were major bleeding and death. RESULTS: From March 2015 to April 2021, there were 110 patients with cancer and SVT, 1695 with cancer and DVT, and 1030 with SVT but no cancer. Most patients in all subgroups (93%, 99% and 96%, respectively) received anticoagulants, while those with SVT received lower daily doses of low-molecular-weight heparin (114 ± 58, 163 ± 44, and 106 ± 50 IU/kg, respectively). During the first 90 days, 101 patients (3.6%) developed subsequent VTE (PE 47, DVT 41, SVT 13), whereas 72 (2.5%) had major bleeding and 282 (9.9%) died. Among the three groups, 90-day events were, respectively: VTE at rates of 7.3%, 4.0% and 2.4%; major bleeding at rates of 2.7%, 3.9% and 0.3%; mortality at rates of 8.2%, 16% and 0.3%. Between D90 and D180, only one SVT recurrence and one death occurred in SVT cancer patients. In multivariable analysis, cancer was associated with subsequent VTE (HR = 2.04; 1.15-3.62), while initial presentation as SVT or DVT were not associated with a different risk. CONCLUSIONS: The risk for subsequent VTE (including symptomatic SVT, DVT or PE) was similar in cancer patients with isolated SVT than in those with isolated DVT.

Safety of the pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria rule: Findings from the Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbolica venosa (RIETE) registry.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic strategy for pulmonary embolism (PE) includes a D-dimer test when PE probability is low or intermediate, but false-positive D-dimer results are frequent and can result in an unnecessary computed tomography pulmonary angiogram. The PE rule-out criteria (PERC) rule excludes PE without D-dimer testing when pretest probability is <15%. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of the PERC rule strategy in patients included in the Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbolica venosa (RIETE) registry. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from the RIETE registry, an ongoing, international prospective registry of patients with objectively confirmed venous thromboembolism. The primary outcome was the failure rate of the PERC strategy, represented by the proportion of PERC-negative (PERC-N) patients with a PE included in the registry. Secondary outcomes were a comparison of the clinical characteristics, treatment strategy, and outcome of PERC-N versus PERC-positive (PERC-P) patients at 3 months. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2021, a total of 49,793 patients with acute PE were enrolled in the RIETE registry. We included 48,903 in the final analysis after exclusion of 890 patients with an undetermined PERC status. Only 346 patients were PERC-N with a failure rate of 0.7% (95% confidence interval 0.6%-0.8%). PERC-N patients presented more frequently with chest pain but less often with dyspnea, syncope, or hypotension. They also had subsegmental or segmental PE more frequently, were more often treated with direct oral anticoagulants, and received mechanical or pharmacological thrombolysis less often. In addition, PERC-N patients had a lower incidence of recurrent deep vein thrombosis, major bleeding, and death attributed to PE during the 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A low failure rate of the PERC rule was observed in the RIETE registry, thus supporting its use to safely identify patients with an unlikely probability of PE.

A Clinical-Genetic Risk Score for Predicting Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism: A Development and Validation Study Involving Two Independent Prospective Cohorts.

PURPOSE: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of death among patients with cancer. The Khorana score was developed for assessing the risk of VTE in outpatients with cancer receiving chemotherapy, but its accuracy in identifying patients at high risk has been questioned. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a clinical-genetic score that improves the assessment of VTE risk in oncology outpatients within 6 months of diagnosis. METHODS: The new score was developed using the data of 364 outpatients belonging to the Spanish ONCOTHROMB 12-01 population. In this cohort, clinical data associated with the risk of VTE were collected at the time of diagnosis, including the Khorana score. These patients were also genotyped for the 51 genetic variants known to be associated with VTE. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the weight of each genetic and clinical variable in relation to VTE risk, allowing a clinical-genetic risk score (the ONCOTHROMB score) to be developed. The Khorana and the ONCOTHROMB scores were then compared via the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration, and the number of patients needed to treat. The new score was then validated in a study of 263 patients in the Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study population. RESULTS: Nine genetic variants, tumor site, TNM stage, and a body mass index of > 25 kg/m2 were found to be associated with VTE and were used to build the ONCOTHROMB score, which better predicted the overall risk of VTE than did the Khorana score (AUC, 0.781 v 0.580; P < .001). Similar AUC results were recorded in the validation study the Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study cohort involving patients with the same type of tumor (AUC for the ONCOTHROMB score v the Khorana score: 0.686 v 0.577; P < .001) and with all type of tumors (AUC for the ONCOTHROMB score v the Khorana score: 0.720 v 0.561; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The ONCOTHROMB score for VTE risk in outpatients with cancer, which takes into account both clinical and genetic variables, better identifies patients who might benefit from primary thromboprophylaxis than does the Khorana score.

Comparison of Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Venous Thromboembolism in Long-Term Immobile Patients Based on Age.

BACKGROUND: Chronic immobility is prevalent, especially as people age. However, little is known about venous thromboembolism (VTE) outcomes in this population. OBJECTIVE: To compare the presentation, treatment, and outcomes in chronically immobile (>8 weeks) patients older vs. younger than 75 who presented with VTE. DESIGN: An observational international registry of patients with VTE. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with acute VTE from the "Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbolica" (RIETE) registry who were chronically immobile. MAIN MEASURES: Baseline characteristics, presenting signs and symptoms, treatment and outcomes including major bleeding, recurrent VTE, and mortality. KEY RESULTS: Among 4612 immobile patients (mean age 75.7 years, 34% male), 2127 (46%) presented with pulmonary embolism (PE). Patients >75 years presented more often with dyspnea (44% vs. 38%) or altered mental status (23% vs. 8.1%) and less often with chest pain (13% vs. 18%). The median duration of anticoagulation was shorter in older compared with younger patients [126 vs. 169 days]. During the first 90 days of anticoagulation, major bleeding (4.0% vs. 2.2%), PE-related death (2.5% vs. 1.1%), and bleeding-related death (0.78% vs. 0.26%) occurred more frequently among older patients. In 3550 patients who received anticoagulation beyond 90 days, older patients had more major bleeding [4.23 vs. 2.21 events per 100 patient years]. After anticoagulation discontinuation, recurrent VTE and major bleeding occurred in 11.8 and 9.25 and 1.49 and 0.69 events per 100 patient years, respectively, both in similar rates in both groups. In multivariable analysis, after stopping anticoagulation, VTE recurrence was inversely associated with long-term facility residence [OR 0.51 (0.28-0.92)], anemia [OR 0.63 (0.42-0.95)], and anticoagulation duration < 90 days [OR 0.38 (0.27-0.54)]. CONCLUSIONS: Chronically immobilized patients older than 75 years presenting with VTE experience a high rate of adverse events including major bleeding and recurrent VTE. When considering treatment beyond 90 days, we should account for bleeding, recurrence risk, and associated mortality.

Mild forms of thrombotic microangiopathy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel.

INTRODUCTION: Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is an uncommon complication that may occur in cancer patients usually as an expression of cancer-associated coagulopathy or due to drug-related toxicity. The clinical spectrum of TMA may vary from an incidental laboratory finding in cancer outpatients to potentially severe life-threatening clinical forms with organ involvement requiring prompt recognition and multidisciplinary evaluation. CASE REPORTS: We present the clinical characteristics and outcomes of four patients with advanced pancreatic cancer with acute non-immune intravascular haemolysis compatible with microangiopathic acute haemolytic anaemia associated with mild thrombocytopenia during long-term gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel treatment. MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOMES: Abnormal blood parameters (all four cases) and renal involvement (one case) were reversed with a conservative approach and chemotherapy discontinuation. One patient required a short hospitalization while the other three were managed as outpatients. The rapid reversibility of the blood abnormalities supported gemcitabine dose-related toxicity as the most likely aetiologic mechanism and demonstrates the current challenges in daily long-term cancer survivor care. DISCUSSION: Clinicians must take into account TMA in the differential diagnosis of acute anaemia with or without thrombocytopenia and organ damage, since adequate recognition and early treatment discontinuation allow effective outpatient management and favourable patient outcomes.

Saddle Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Cancer in the Era of Incidental Events: Clinical Findings and Outcomes in a Single Centre Cohort.

Background There is scarce information regarding the prevalence and clinical impact of saddle pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with cancer. Objectives This study aimed to assess the prevalence, clinical findings, and short-term outcomes of patients with cancer-related saddle PE including acute symptomatic and unsuspected events. Patients/Methods Consecutive patients with cancer-related PE (March 1, 2006-October 31, 2014) were retrospectively reviewed by a chest radiologist to assess PE burden and signs of right ventricular (RV) overload. The clinical outcomes within 30 days were evaluated according to saddle versus nonsaddle PE. Results Thirty-six (12%) out of 289 patients with newly diagnosed cancer-related PE presented with saddle PE. Saddle PE was found in 21 cases (58%) with acute symptomatic PE and the remaining 15 cases (42%) were found as unsuspected findings. Patients with saddle PE had more frequently experienced a previous thrombotic event (31 vs. 13%; p =0.008), and it occurred more frequently as an acute symptomatic event (58 vs. 39%; p =0.025) compared with those with nonsaddle PE. Signs of RV overload including RV/left ventricle ratio ≥1 (22 vs. 4%; p <0.001) and interventricular septum displacement (53 vs. 20%; p <0.001) were also more common in patients with saddle PE compared with nonsaddle PE. Overall, PE-related mortality, venous thromboembolism recurrence, and major bleeding within 30 days were found to be similar according to saddle versus nonsaddle PE. Conclusion Saddle PE is not uncommon in patients with cancer-related PE including in those with unsuspected PE. Similar 30-day outcomes were found according to saddle versus nonsaddle PE in our cohort.

Saddle Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Cancer in the Era of Incidental Events: Clinical Findings and Outcomes in a Single Centre Cohort.

Background There is scarce information regarding the prevalence and clinical impact of saddle pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with cancer. Objectives This study aimed to assess the prevalence, clinical findings, and short-term outcomes of patients with cancer-related saddle PE including acute symptomatic and unsuspected events. Patients/Methods Consecutive patients with cancer-related PE (March 1, 2006-October 31, 2014) were retrospectively reviewed by a chest radiologist to assess PE burden and signs of right ventricular (RV) overload. The clinical outcomes within 30 days were evaluated according to saddle versus nonsaddle PE. Results Thirty-six (12%) out of 289 patients with newly diagnosed cancer-related PE presented with saddle PE. Saddle PE was found in 21 cases (58%) with acute symptomatic PE and the remaining 15 cases (42%) were found as unsuspected findings. Patients with saddle PE had more frequently experienced a previous thrombotic event (31 vs. 13%; p = 0.008), and it occurred more frequently as an acute symptomatic event (58 vs. 39%; p = 0.025) compared with those with nonsaddle PE. Signs of RV overload including RV/left ventricle ratio ≥1 (22 vs. 4%; p < 0.001) and interventricular septum displacement (53 vs. 20%; p < 0.001) were also more common in patients with saddle PE compared with nonsaddle PE. Overall, PE-related mortality, venous thromboembolism recurrence, and major bleeding within 30 days were found to be similar according to saddle versus nonsaddle PE. Conclusion Saddle PE is not uncommon in patients with cancer-related PE including in those with unsuspected PE. Similar 30-day outcomes were found according to saddle versus nonsaddle PE in our cohort.

Cancer Histology and Natural History of Patients with Lung Cancer and Venous Thromboembolism.

Background: In patients with lung cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE), the influence of cancer histology on outcome has not been consistently evaluated. Methods: We used the RIETE registry (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica) to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes during anticoagulation in patients with lung cancer and VTE, according to the histology of lung cancer. Results: As of April 2022, there were 482 patients with lung cancer and VTE: adenocarcinoma 293 (61%), squamous 98 (20%), small-cell 44 (9.1%), other 47 (9.8%). The index VTE was diagnosed later in patients with squamous cancer than in those with adenocarcinoma (median, 5 vs. 2 months). In 50% of patients with adenocarcinoma, the VTE appeared within the first 90 days since cancer diagnosis. During anticoagulation (median 106 days, IQR: 45-214), 14 patients developed VTE recurrences, 15 suffered major bleeding, and 218 died: fatal pulmonary embolism 10, fatal bleeding 2. The rate of VTE recurrences was higher than the rate of major bleeding in patients with adenocarcinoma (11 vs. 6 events), and lower in those with other cancer types (3 vs. 9 events). On multivariable analysis, patients with adenocarcinoma had a non-significantly higher risk for VTE recurrences (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.79; 95%CI: 0.76-18.8), a lower risk of major bleeding (HR: 0.29; 95%CI: 0.09-0.95), and a similar risk of mortality (HR: 1.02; 95%CI: 0.76-1.36) than patients with other types of lung cancer. Conclusions: In patients with lung adenocarcinoma, the rate of VTE recurrences outweighed the rate of major bleeding. In patients with other lung cancers, it was the opposite.

Catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) in patients with solid tumors: a narrative review and clinical guidance for daily care.

Central venous access devices (CVADs) including central venous catheters and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are essential in the treatment of cancer. Catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) is the most frequent non-infectious complication associated with the use of central lines. The development of CRT may cause to delays in oncologic treatment and increase morbidity leading to potentially life-threatening complications. Several local and systemic risk factors are associated with the development of CRT and should be taken into account to prevent CRT by standardizing appropriate catheter placement and maintenance. The use of primary pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in order to avoid CRT is not routinely recommended, although it can be considered in selected cases. Recommendations for the management of established CRT are based on the extrapolation of anticoagulation for lower limb venous thrombosis. The present review summarizes the current evidence and recommendations for the prevention and management of CRT and identifies areas that require further research.