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Updated: Aug 27, 2025

Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Published on: January 18, 2018
Endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke in patients with active malignancy: a meta-analysis with trial
Hong-Jie Jhou1,2, Li-Yu Yang1,2, Po-Huang Chen3
1Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
Background:
Active malignancy has a poorer prognosis and more deaths in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) remain controversial in patients with AIS and active malignancy.
Methods:
We searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase for articles published up to June 1, 2022. The primary outcome was good functional outcome at 3 months and successful reperfusion between patients with cancer and AIS and control patients. The secondary and safety outcomes included mortality at 3 months, in-hospital mortality, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), any ICH, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
Results:
Twelve studies involving 5944 patients with AIS secondary to EVT were included (389 patients having active malignancy). The OR of good functional outcome at 3 months was 0.53 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.67) between the two groups. The OR of successful reperfusion between the two groups was 0.90 (95% CI 0.63 to 1.30). Compared with patients without cancers, those with cancers had a higher risk of mortality at 3 months (OR 3.64; 95% CI 2.35 to 6.27) and in-hospital mortality (OR 3.46; 95% CI 1.71 to 7.01). Despite a higher point estimate regarding any ICH (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.96) and SAH (OR 2.53; 95% CI 1.10 to 5.81), sICH (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.51 to 1.42) was not significant.
Conclusion:
Although a quarter of patients with active malignancy and AIS regained functional independence, physicians and patients should consider whether to apply EVT in patients with active malignancy.

