Stroke Recurrence and Long-Term Mortality in Patients Diagnosed with Cancer Following Stroke

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Neurology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Systemic cancer and ischemic stroke are leading causes of mortality.
• Shared risk factors include older age, smoking, obesity, and inflammation.
• Investigating cancer incidence post-stroke is critical for understanding patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of newly diagnosed cancers in patients who have survived an ischemic stroke.
• To analyze the outcomes, including cancer recurrence, recurrent stroke, and mortality, in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 5048 acute ischemic stroke patients (2010-2019).
• Exclusion of patients with cancer diagnosed within 30 days of stroke.
• Primary outcomes: new systemic cancer incidence, recurrent ischemic stroke, and mortality.

Main Results:

• Cancer was diagnosed in 4.79% of stroke survivors during a median 3.4-year follow-up.
• Cancer diagnosis was associated with male sex and older age.
• Cancer survivors faced a significantly higher mortality risk (HR, 2.57; P<0.001) but not a significantly higher risk of recurrent stroke.

Conclusions:

• Cancer diagnosis is frequent among ischemic stroke survivors.
• Developing cancer post-stroke is linked to increased mortality.
• Early cancer detection strategies in stroke survivors are warranted.