A systematic review of apixaban in prevention and treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism

Abstract

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer after disease progression. Thus, timely initiation of anticoagulation after diagnosis of a VTE is required to prevent significant sequelae. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are newer anticoagulant options for cancer associated VTE (CA-VTE), which historically has been treated with low molecular weight heparin.

Objective: The objective of this study was to review the available literature evaluating the use of apixaban for CA-VTE.

Methods: A systematic review (following PRISMA Guidelines) of MEDLINE and EMBASE using the search terms "apixaban" AND "cancer" AND "VTE" was performed from database inception through May 20, 2020. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they were full articles fulfilling the following criteria: (1) randomized controlled trial (RCT) or prospective cohort study, or (2) subgroup analysis of an RCT, and (3) reported clinical outcomes associated with apixaban for prevention or treatment of VTE in patients with cancer.

Results: A total of 532 articles were identified. After duplicates were removed, 423 articles were screened, and 12 articles were eligible for full-text review. Of the 12 articles, 2 were excluded for having no comparator group, and 2 were excluded for being abstracts only. Ultimately, 8 articles met the inclusion criteria.

Conclusions: The available literature supports the safety and efficacy of apixaban for the treatment and prevention of CA-VTE. With the recent publication of the CARAVAGGIO trial, we anticipate that apixaban will be uniformly recommended in national guidelines as a treatment option for CA-VTE.