Apixaban versus low molecular weight heparin in patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The optimal treatment regimen for patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CA-VTE) remains unclear. Therefore, the authors sought to compare the outcomes of (VKAs) versus direct apixaban and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in patients with CA-VTE.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing the efficacy and safety of apixaban and LMWH in patients with CA-VTE. Major bleeding, clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB), recurrence of pulmonary embolism (PE), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and bleeding-related mortality were among outcomes of interest. Mantel-Haenszel weighted random-effects model was used to calculate relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs.

Results: The analysis included 12 011 patients from 3 RCTs and 2 observational studies. Compared to LMWH, apixaban significantly decreased the risk of major bleeding [RR 0.67 (95% CI 0.54, 0.83); =0.0003, I=0%] without significantly changing the risk of clinically relevant non-major bleeding [RR 0.96 (95% CI 0.64, 0.1.45); =0.85, I=57%]. Patients on apixaban had a noticeably reduced the risk of recurrence of PE than those taking LMWH, according to a meta-analysis [RR 0.56 (95% CI 0.32, 0.99); =0.05, I=0%]. There was no discernible difference between apixaban and LMWH in bleeding-related mortality events [RR 0.20 (95% CI 0.01, 4.18); =0.30, I=NA%], and recurrence of DVT [RR 0.60 (95% CI 0.22, 1.59); =0.23, I=32%].

Conclusion: Due to its lower risk of severe bleeding and reduced PE recurrence, apixaban may be a preferable treatment option for CA-VTE, but additional research is required to validate these conclusions and evaluate its long-term efficacy and safety.