Effect of ovarian tumor characteristics on venous thromboembolic risk

OBJECTIVE: Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are common in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, resulting in high costs associated with diagnosis and treatment. I aimed to identify subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer that pose greater and lesser venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk. METHODS: I assessed the outcomes of 641 patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer over a ten-year period. All inpatient, outpatient, and pathology records were reviewed. The rates at which people were evaluated for and diagnosed with venous thromboembolism were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 641 cases, 30.0% underwent an imaging test to evaluate for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and 21.7% underwent testing for pulmonary embolism (PE). A 10.8% of all subjects were diagnosed with DVT and 7.2% were diagnosed with PE. Borderline tumors and mucinous showed a strikingly low rate of both DVT and PE. Clear cell and high-grade undifferentiated adenocarcinomas were the most likely to result in VTE. In a multivariate model, pathologic subtype was not only a significant predictor of VTE, but was the single best predictor of VTE. CONCLUSION: Clear cell and undifferentiated pathology in epithelial ovarian carcinomas is associated with a higher VTE risk. The underlying reason for this may related to differences in tumor biology. By identifying low and high risk groups, I may both better conserve medical resources and design more effective thromboprophylaxis for my patients.