Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41166668›Full record

ArticleNeurology2025

Anticoagulant Usage and Risk of Thromboembolic Events After Ischemic Stroke in Adults With Cancer.

Pargol Balali, Emily K Acton, Holly Elser, Babak Benjamin Navi, Scott E Kasner

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Pargol BalaliDepartment of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.ORCID 0000-0002-5895-577X
Emily K ActonCenter for Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Therapeutics, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.ORCID 0000-0002-5150-5995
Holly ElserDepartment of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.ORCID 0000-0003-1781-904X
Babak Benjamin NaviDepartment of Neurology and Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY; and.ORCID 0000-0001-8424-6128
Scott E KasnerDepartment of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.ORCID 0000-0003-0418-6917

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI Nicholas D Socci · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
The Philadelphia Regional Stroke Trials Network Coordinating Center (PRSTNCC)U24NS107224 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Brett Lee Cucchiara · 2018 to 2026
$3.2M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748NINDS NIH HHS U24 NS107224
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesIschemic stroke and cancer often coexist. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cancer among patients with stroke, their antithrombotic treatment patterns, and the risk of subsequent thromboembolic events in a large population-based cohort.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study used data from Optum's deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart Database to assess the 6-month risk of recurrent thromboembolic and major bleeding events identified using validated International Classification of Diseases code algorithms, among adults with active cancer hospitalized with ischemic stroke between October 2020 and September 2021. In addition, we explored the risk of recurrent thromboembolic events stratified by anticoagulant exposure. Landmark analyses were undertaken with anticoagulant exposure status based on dispensations in the week after hospital discharge. Propensity score matching aimed to minimize selection bias between the groups. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models with robust variance estimators to account for clustering within propensity score-matched pairs.

resultsAmong 86,365 patients identified with ischemic stroke, 10.2% had active cancer (most common types: 34% genitourinary, 25% gastrointestinal, 23% hematologic). After applying eligibility criteria, 4,781 patients were included in the main analysis (median age 74 [interquartile range 68-81] years; 48% female). Anticoagulants were dispensed to 14.7% of patients. The incidence of thromboembolic event recurrence and major bleeding events was 38.4 (95% CI 35.4-41.6) and 20.9 (95% CI 18.8-23.4) per 100 person-years, respectively. After propensity score matching, the risk of thromboembolism recurrence was not statistically different between those with and without anticoagulant prescription (HR 1.21; 95% CI 0.91-1.61). Anticoagulant prescription was also not associated with a higher risk of major bleeding events (HR 1.13; 95% CI 0.78-1.63). DISCUSSION: In this large-scale study, approximately 10% of patients with ischemic stroke had active cancer and they faced a markedly elevated short-term risk of recurrent thromboembolism and major bleeding events. Anticoagulants were infrequently prescribed after discharge and did not differentially affect the rate of ischemic or bleeding outcomes compared with alternative treatment strategies, although confounding by indication is likely. Clinical trials are required to further assess optimal antithrombotic strategies in this high-risk population.

Indexed as

AnticoagulantsIschemic StrokeNeoplasmsThromboembolismAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHemorrhageHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsAnticoagulants

Identifiers

PMID41166668
PMCPMC12614292

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.