Challenges in anticoagulation for patients with brain tumors

Abstract

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in patients with primary and metastatic brain cancer. Treatment of thrombosis in these patients must be balanced against the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). A number of cohort studies conducted over the last several years have assessed the risk of ICH in patients with primary or secondary brain tumors in the setting of anticoagulation. Anticoagulation with warfarin or low-molecular weight heparin significantly increases the risk of ICH in the setting of primary brain cancers. In contrast, therapeutic anticoagulation does not appear to alter the risk of ICH among patients with metastatic brain tumors. This review summarizes current data regarding anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy in patients with brain tumors, including emerging data on direct-acting oral anticoagulants, and other related topics, such as the use of inferior vena cava filters and resumption of anticoagulation following ICH.

Keywords: Anticoagulation; Brain neoplasm; Intracranial hemorrhage; Venous thromboembolism.