Thromboembolic events and bleeding in patients with metastatic carcinoma treated with chemotherapy and bevacizumab.

Abstract

e19576 Background: An increased risk of thromboembolic events (TE) and bleeding (Bl) has been observed in some trials among cancer patients (CP) treated with bevacizumab (B) and chemotherapy (QT). Our aim is to assess specific risk of TE and Bl in unselected CP treated with QT and B in general clinical practice. Methods: Retrospectively, we collected data of all metastatic CP treated with QT and B in our 3rd level hospital, since April 2007 to December 2011. Clinical histories were review to collect any TE or bleeding occurred during or immediately after the treatment. We compare risk of TE/bleeding with 94 control CP treated with QT during the same period. Results: A total of 143 CP were treated with B and QT. Of them, 105 patients (73,4%) due to metastatic colorectal cancer, 19 patients (13,3%) due to metastatic breast cancer and 12 patients (8,4%) due to metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Median duration of B treatment was 175 days (range 18-1079). During the treatment, 9 patients (6,3%)had a venous TE, 1 patient (0,7%) had and artherial TE, and 5 patients (3,5%) had severe bleeding. Among the 94 control patients, 8 had a venous TE (8,5%), 2 had an artherial TE (2,1%) and 1 had a severe bleeding (1,1%) Risk of TE was not statistically different between groups, (OR 1.58, IC 95% 0.63-3.96) Neither for venous TE (OR 1.38, IC95% 0.51-3.72) nor for artherial events (OR 3.08, IC95% 0.27-34.5) No differences in bleeding risk was found (OR 0,29, IC 95% 0.03-2.58). Conclusions: B added to QT treatment does not appear to increase risk of TE or bleeding in general metastasic population. Although a larger number of patients would evaluate better this risk, we could assess that if patients are selected by other clinical risk factors, bevacizumab does not confer an increased risk of TE or haemorrhage.