Outcomes by Class of Anticoagulant Use for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Active Cancer

Adam S. Potter, Ashley Patel, Muzamil Khawaja, Christopher Chen, Henry Zheng, Jessica Kaczmarek, Feng Gao, Kaveh Karimzad, Juhee Song, Efstratios Koutroumpakis, Shaden Khalaf, Cezar Iliescu, Anita Deswal, Nicolas L. Palaskas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The choice of anticoagulant agent for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in the setting of active cancer has not been well studied. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the rates of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulant agents (DOACs) compared with warfarin for NVAF in patients with active cancer. Methods: This was a retrospective electronic medical record review of eligible patients treated at a cancer hospital. The outcome events were CVA; GIB; ICH; the composite of GIB, CVA, or ICH; and overall mortality. Propensity score matching (1:1) was conducted to select comparable patients receiving warfarin vs DOACs. Fine-Gray models were fitted for each outcome event. Results: The study cohort included 1,133 patients (mean age 72 ± 8.8 years, 42% women), of whom 74% received DOACs (57% received apixaban). After propensity score matching, 195 patients were included in each anticoagulant agent group. When comparing warfarin with DOACs, there were similar risks for CVA (subdistribution HR: 0.738; 95% CI: 0.334-1.629); ICH (subdistribution HR: 0.295; 95% CI: 0.032-2.709); GIB (subdistribution HR: 1.819; 95% CI: 0.774-4.277); and the composite of GIB, CVA, or ICH (subdistribution HR: 1.151; 95% CI: 0.645-2.054). Conclusions: Patients with active cancer had similar risks for CVA, ICH, and GIB when treated with DOACs compared with warfarin for NVAF.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)341-350
Number of pages10
JournalJACC: CardioOncology
Volume4
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2022

Keywords

  • DOAC
  • bleeding
  • cancer
  • nonvalvular atrial fibrillation
  • stroke
  • vitamin K antagonist
  • warfarin

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

MD Anderson CCSG core facilities

  • Biostatistics Resource Group

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