The primary purpose of this study is to determine the optimal duration of anticoagulation therapy (6 months versus 18 months) with direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) for cancer-associated low-risk pulmonary embolism patients. The major secondary purpose of this study is to investigate whether home treatment of cancer-associated low-risk pulmonary embolism patients with rivaroxaban is feasible, effective, and safe through an observational management study.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is a major health problem in the world. There have been many clinical studies evaluating VTE, although data on low-risk PE, including incidental PE and asymptomatic PE has been quite limited. However, low-risk PE was reported to account for a large proportion of all the diagnoses of PE detected on computed tomography in daily clinical practice, and optimal management strategies for these patients are becoming clinically more relevant. The current American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines weakly suggest the same approach for low-risk PE patients with cancer as other PE patients with cancer. However, whether anticoagulation therapy should be continued indefinitely remains uncertain and the duration of treatment in these patients might vary widely in daily clinical practice. Recently, some observational studies reported that low-risk patients with cancer have a high risk of VTE recurrence, suggesting the benefit of prolonged anticoagulation therapy. In this open-label, superiority trial, the investigators randomly assign low-risk PE patients with active cancer to receive either rivaroxaban for 6 months (short DOAC group) or rivaroxaban for 18 months (long DOAC group).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
179
Administration of Rivaroxaban for 18 months
Administration of Rivaroxaban for 6 months
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
VTE recurrence event Venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence event
VTE recurrence event is defined as pulmonary embolism (PE) and/or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) by confirmation of new thrombus or exacerbation of the thrombus by objective imaging examinations or autopsy.
Time frame: 18 months
Major bleeding event (ISTH criteria)
Major bleeding is defined as International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding, which consisted of a reduction in the hemoglobin level by at least 2 g/dL, transfusion of at least 2 units of blood or symptomatic bleeding in a critical area or organ.
Time frame: 3 months
PE-related death event
PE-related death event is defined as death due to a documented PE (either an objective test prior to death of the subject or PE detected during autopsy) or unexplained death (i.e. death without a clear alternate cause and not a primary consequence of subject's underlying cancer).
Time frame: 3 months
A composite of PE-related death, symptomatic recurrent VTE, and major bleeding (ISTH criteria)
PE-related death event is defined as death due to a documented PE or unexplained death. Symptomatic VTE recurrence event is defined as PE and/or DVT with symptoms accompanied by confirmation of new thrombus or exacerbation of the thrombus by objective imaging examinations or autopsy. Major bleeding is defined as International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding, which consisted of a reduction in the hemoglobin level by at least 2 g/dL, transfusion of at least 2 units of blood or symptomatic bleeding in a critical area or organ.
Time frame: 3 months
Symptomatic VTE recurrence event
Symptomatic VTE recurrence event is defined as PE and/or DVT with symptoms accompanied by confirmation of new thrombus or exacerbation of the thrombus by objective imaging examinations or autopsy.
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Time frame: 3 months
Hospitalization for VTE recurrence or clinically relevant bleeding events
Hospitalization for VTE recurrence or bleeding events. VTE recurrence event is defined as PE and/or DVT by confirmation of new thrombus or exacerbation of the thrombus by objective imaging examinations or autopsy. Bleeding events are clinically relevant bleeding events, which is defined as major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding. Major bleeding is defined as International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding, which consisted of a reduction in the hemoglobin level by at least 2 g/dL, transfusion of at least 2 units of blood or symptomatic bleeding in a critical area or organ. Clinically relevant non-major bleeding event is defined as overt bleeding (i.e. is symptomatic or visualized by examination) which is not meeting the criteria for major bleeding, requires medical attention or is associated with discomfort for the subject such as pain, or impairment of activities of daily life.
Time frame: 3 months
Major bleeding event (ISTH criteria)
Major bleeding is defined as International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding, which consisted of a reduction in the hemoglobin level by at least 2 g/dL, transfusion of at least 2 units of blood or symptomatic bleeding in a critical area or organ.
Time frame: 18 months
PE-related death event
PE-related death event is defined as death due to a documented PE (either an objective test prior to death of the subject or PE detected during autopsy) or unexplained death (i.e. death without a clear alternate cause and not a primary consequence of subject's underlying cancer).
Time frame: 18 months
Symptomatic VTE recurrence event
Symptomatic VTE recurrence event is defined as PE and/or DVT with symptoms accompanied by confirmation of new thrombus or exacerbation of the thrombus by objective imaging examinations or autopsy.
Time frame: 18 months
Clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) bleeding
A bleeding event will be classified as a clinically relevant non-major bleeding event if it is overt (i.e. is symptomatic or visualized by examination) not meeting the criteria for major bleeding, requires medical attention or is associated with discomfort for the subject such as pain, or impairment of activities of daily life.
Time frame: 18 months
Clinically relevant bleeding
Clinically relevant bleeding is defined as major or CRNM bleeding.
Time frame: 18 months
All-cause death
Death from any cause.
Time frame: 18 months
Bleeding-related death event
Bleeding-related death event is defined as a bleeding event directly led to death. Examples of fatal bleeding events are an intracranial hemorrhage that led to herniation of the brain and death within 24 hours, and a massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage that results in shock, hemodynamic collapse, and death.
Time frame: 18 months
Any adverse outcomes during invasive procedures
Adverse outcomes include bleeding events, recurrent VTE events, all-cause deaths.
Time frame: 18 months