Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41487575›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2025

Reduced versus standard dose apixaban for secondary prevention of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vasu Malhotra, Shreya G Patel, Ardit Feinaj, Devesh Amin, Henry Ash, Mohammad B Boozo, Zachary Breslow, Jennifer Trube, Muhammad Z Farooq, Michael Sabina

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

10 authors.

Vasu MalhotraDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Shreya G PatelDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Ardit FeinajDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Devesh AminDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Henry AshDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Mohammad B BoozoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States.
Zachary BreslowDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Jennifer TrubeDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Muhammad Z FarooqDepartment of Hematology & Oncology, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.
Michael SabinaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland, FL, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) often require prolonged anticoagulation because malignancy and chemotherapy can persist for months to years, sustaining both thrombotic and bleeding risks. While full-dose apixaban (5 mg twice daily) is recommended for secondary prevention, extended use may increase bleeding in this vulnerable population. Reducing the dose to 2.5 mg twice daily after six months of full-dose treatment has been proposed to lower bleeding risk without compromising protection against recurrent VTE. To clarify the safety and efficacy of this strategy, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing reduced- versus standard-dose apixaban for extended therapy in patients with cancer-associated VTE. The study followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251026337). Hazard ratios and risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model, and evidence certainty was assessed with GRADE. Two randomized trials comprising 2,126 patients (EVE, n = 360; API-CAT, n = 1,766) met inclusion criteria. The composite outcome of recurrent VTE with bleeding showed a significantly lower risk with reduced-dose apixaban (risk ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.96; I Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier PROSPERO CRD420251026337.

Indexed as

anticoagulationapixabanbleeding risk and anticoagulationcancer-associated thrombosisdirect oral anticoagulants (DOA)extended anticoagulationmeta-analysisVTE (venous thromboembolism)

Identifiers

PMID41487575
PMCPMC12757263

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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.