Background: Increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been noted among cancer patients as compared to non-cancer. Cancer associated thrombosis caused three folds increased hospitalizations, increased inpatient/outpatient medical and prescription claims, and increased total health care costs per patient. Our objective was to study demographic, clinical and laboratory risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized cancer patients and to identify predictors of CAT.
Methods: Ours is a retrospective cohort study focused at patients with VTE and cancer from January 2013 till September 2015. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis using stepwise approach was performed. A final predictive model for collinearity using variance inflation factor (VIF) is underway.
Results: N=3918 cancer inpatients were identified. Mean age 66±14 years; 53% males; 85% Caucasians, 7% African Americans; 7% were obese. Common cancer types: 30% prostate, 16% lung, 11% cervical, 11% breast etc. Common comorbidities were 46% hypertension, 35% pulmonary diseases, 21% renal diseases, 23% diabetes, 11% congestive heart failure, 9% anemia etc. 5% cancer patients had VTE. Cancer patients with anemia (95% CI: 1.34-3.29; p:0. 001), pulmonary diseases (95% CI: 1.06-2.05; p:0.019) and renal diseases (95% CI: 1.59-3.14; p:<0.0001) as comorbidities were associated with higher risk for VTE. Pancreatic cancer (95% CI: 1.09-3.88; p:0.024) was associated with higher risk of VTE where as prostate cancer (95% CI: 0.11-0.55; p:0.002) with lower risk.
Conclusions: VTE is a common occurrence among male cancer inpatients. Anemia, pulmonary diseases and renal diseases increased VTE risk in cancer patients. Pancreatic cancer patients had higher associated risk.