Venous thromboembolism risk in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer

There is limited evidence to inform thromboprophylaxis use for patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery in bladder cancer. We sought to determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and cystectomy. We also assessed if the Khorana score was associated with VTE risk.

A retrospective cohort study was performed on consecutive patients who received a radical cystectomy for bladder cancer at The Ottawa Hospital between January 2016 and August 2020. Demographic information, chemotherapy data, operative characteristics, VTE and bleeding outcomes were collected from the start of treatment to 90 days postoperative. A Khorana score was calculated for each patient who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The primary outcome for this study was the incidence of VTE from the time the patient started treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy until 90 days post-cystectomy. Secondary outcomes included risk factors for VTE during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Among 181 radical cystectomy cases during the study period, 123 had muscle-invasive disease and 72 (39.8%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Eighteen (25.0%) patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy developed a VTE from the start of chemotherapy to 90 days postoperative. Thirteen of the 18 VTEs (72%) occurred while the patient was receiving chemotherapy. In multivariable analysis, the only factor associated with a significantly increased risk of VTE was treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (Relative risk (RR) 3.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-8.02; P = 0.02). A higher Khorana score was not associated with an increased risk of VTE in patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (RR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.08-1.28, P = 0.11). One (1.4%) patient had a major bleeding event during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy are at very high-risk of VTE. Prospective studies that assess the benefits and harms of pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis in this population are needed.