ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: More than half of patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) suffer from recurrent ischaemic stroke, despite the absence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on invasive cardiac monitoring (ICM). This study investigated the predictors and prognosis of recurrent stroke in ESUS without AF on ICM.

METHOD: This prospective study included patients with ESUS at two tertiary hospitals from 2015 to 2021 who underwent comprehensive neurological imaging, transthoracic echocardiography, and inpatient continuous electrographic monitoring for ≥48 hours prior to ICM for definitive exclusion of AF. Recurrent ischaemic stroke, all-cause mortality, and functional outcome by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 3 months were evaluated in patients without AF.

RESULTS: Of 185 consecutive patients with ESUS, AF was not detected in 163 (88%) patients (age 62±12 years, 76% men, 25% prior stroke, median time to ICM insertion 26 [7, 123] days), and stroke recurred in 24 (15%) patients. Stroke recurrences were predominantly ESUS (88%), within the first 2 years (75%), and involved a different vascular territory from qualifying ESUS (58%). Pre-existing cancer was the only independent predictor of recurrent stroke (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 5.43, 95% CI 1.43-20.64), recurrent ESUS (AHR 5.67, 95% CI 1.15-21.21), and higher mRS score at 3 months (ß 1.27, 95% CI 0.23-2.42). All-cause mortality occurred in 17 (10%) patients. Adjusting for age, cancer, and mRS category (≥3 vs <3),

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with recurrent ESUS are a high-risk subgroup. Studies elucidating optimal diagnostic and treatment strategies in non-AF-related ESUS are urgently required.

PMID:37291002 | DOI:10.1016/j.hlc.2023.05.010

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Congenital hepatic hemangioma: an unusual case report of pulmonary hypertension

BMC Pediatr. 2023 Jun 7;23(1):284. doi: 10.1186/s12887-023-04096-w.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in newborns is a rare but serious condition that often requires immediate intervention and quick diagnosis of the correct etiology to prevent mortality. Congenital hepatic hemangioma (CHH) is an example of an extrathoracic etiology of PH.

CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, we report the case of a newborn with a giant liver hemangioma, who presented with an early onset of PH and was successfully treated with intra-arterial embolization.

CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the importance of suspicion and prompt evaluation of CHH and related systemic arteriovenous shunts among infants with unexplained PH.

PMID:37286954 | DOI:10.1186/s12887-023-04096-w

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Dynamic Patterns and Persistence of Anticoagulation Therapy in Patients with Venous Thromboembolism in South Korea: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Thromb Haemost. 2023 Jun 7. doi: 10.1055/a-2107-0815. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditure. However, the comprehensive utilization of anticoagulation therapy in patients with VTE, especially regarding active cancer, in real-world practice remains unclear. Objective To describe the prescription, persistence, and patterns of anticoagulation therapy among patients with VTE stratified according to active cancer. Methods Using Korean nationwide claims data, we identified an incident, treatment-naïve cohort of patients with VTE from 2013 to 2019 and classified them according to the presence/absence of active cancer. We explored the secular trends, treatment patterns (e.g., discontinuation, interruption, and switch), and persistence of anticoagulation therapy. Results There were 48,504 and 7,255 patients without and with active cancer, respectively. NOACs were the most common anticoagulant in both groups (65.1% and 57.9%, respectively). The prescription of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) increased steeply over time, regardless of active cancer, whereas parenteral anticoagulants (PACs) plateaued and warfarin decreased sharply. A heterogeneous pattern was observed between the groups without and with active cancer (3-month persistence was 60.8%, 62.9%, 57.2%, and 3.4%, respectively; 6-month persistence was 42.3%, 33.5%, 25.9%, and 1.2% vs. 9.9%). Median duration of continuous anticoagulant therapy for warfarin, NOAC, and PAC were 183, 147, and 3 days in non-active cancer patients, and 121, 117, and 44 days in active cancer patients. Conclusion Our findings suggest that there were substantial differences in persistence, patterns, and patient characteristics of anticoagulant therapy based on index anticoagulant and active cancer.

PMID:37285903 | DOI:10.1055/a-2107-0815

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Prognosis of incidental pulmonary embolism vs. symptomatic pulmonary embolism in cancer patients: a single-center retrospective cohort study in China

Thromb J. 2023 Jun 6;21(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s12959-023-00502-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The incidence of incidental pulmonary embolism (IPE) has greatly increased, but its clinical characteristics and outcomes are still controversial. This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between cancer patients with IPE and patients with symptomatic pulmonary embolism (SPE).

PATIENTS/METHODS: Clinical data of 180 consecutive patients with cancer complicated with pulmonary embolism admitted to Beijing Cancer Hospital from July 2011 to December 2019 were retrospectively collected and analysed. General characteristics, diagnosis time of pulmonary embolism (PE), location of PE, concurrent deep venous thrombosis, anticoagulant treatment, impact of PE on anti-tumor treatment, recurrent venous thromboembolism, rate of bleeding after anticoagulation therapy, survival and risk factors of IPE were compared with SPE.

RESULTS: Of 180 patients, 88 (49%) had IPEs and 92 (51%) had SPEs. Patients with IPE and SPE did not differ in age, sex, tumor type, or tumor stage. Median diagnosis times of IPE and SPE after cancer were 108 (45, 432) days and 90 (7, 383) days, respectively. Compared to SPE, IPE tended to be central (44% versus 26%; P < 0.001), isolated (31.8% versus 0.0%; P < 0.001), and unilateral (67.1% versus 12.8%; P < 0.00). The rate of bleeding after anticoagulation therapy did not differ between IPE and SPE. Patients with IPE had a better prognosis than patients with SPE in terms of 30-, and 90-day mortality, as well as overall survival after diagnosis of PE (median: 314.5 vs. 192.0 days, log-rank P = 0.004) and cancer (median: 630.0 vs. 450.5 days, log-rank P = 0.018). SPE (compared to IPE) was an independent risk factor for poor survival after diagnosis of PE in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.564, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.008-2.425, p = 0.046).

CONCLUSIONS: IPE accounts for nearly one half of PE cases among Chinese cancer patients. With active anticoagulation treatment, IPE is expected to achieve better survival rates than SPE.

PMID:37280671 | PMC:PMC10245445 | DOI:10.1186/s12959-023-00502-6

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Tissue factor (coagulation factor III): a potential double-edge molecule to be targeted and re-targeted toward cancer

Biomark Res. 2023 Jun 6;11(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s40364-023-00504-6.

ABSTRACT

Tissue factor (TF) is a protein that plays a critical role in blood clotting, but recent research has also shown its involvement in cancer development and progression. Herein, we provide an overview of the structure of TF and its involvement in signaling pathways that promote cancer cell proliferation and survival, such as the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways. TF overexpression is associated with increased tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis in various cancers. The review also explores TF's role in promoting cancer cell metastasis, angiogenesis, and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Of note, various TF-targeted therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, small molecule inhibitors, and immunotherapies have been developed, and preclinical and clinical studies demonstrating the efficacy of these therapies in various cancer types are now being evaluated. The potential for re-targeting TF toward cancer cells using TF-conjugated nanoparticles, which have shown promising results in preclinical studies is another intriguing approach in the path of cancer treatment. Although there are still many challenges, TF could possibly be a potential molecule to be used for further cancer therapy as some TF-targeted therapies like Seagen and Genmab's tisotumab vedotin have gained FDA approval for treatment of cervical cancer. Overall, based on the overviewed studies, this review article provides an in-depth overview of the crucial role that TF plays in cancer development and progression, and emphasizes the potential of TF-targeted and re-targeted therapies as potential approaches for the treatment of cancer.

PMID:37280670 | PMC:PMC10242999 | DOI:10.1186/s40364-023-00504-6

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PubMed articles on: Cancer & VTE/PE

Bevacizumab loaded CalliSpheres® bronchial arterial chemoembolization combined with immunotherapy and targeted therapy for advanced lung adenocarcinoma

Front Pharmacol. 2023 May 22;14:1170344. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1170344. eCollection 2023.