The Impact of Circulating Tumor Cells on Venous Thromboembolism and Cardiovascular Events in Bladder Cancer Patients Treated with Radical Cystectomy

Background: Cancer is a relevant risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are associated with an increased risk of VTE in breast cancer. In addition, circulating cell-free nucleic acids have been associated with cardiovascular events (CVE). Objective: To investigate the association of CTC status and the risk of VTE as well as CVE in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC). Methods: We collected data of 189 UCB patients treated with RC at our institution. Blood samples were acquired preoperatively and analyzed for CTC using the CellSearch(®) system. Thirty-day postoperative complications were extracted from digital charts and graded according to the Clavien–Dindo classification (CDC). Moreover, each patient’s individual Comprehensive Complication Index(®) (CCI(®)) was calculated. Results: CTC were present in 43 patients (22.8%). Overall, six patients experienced VTE (3.2%) and eight patients (4.2%) experienced CVE. There was no association of VTE or CVE according to CTC status. In total, 168 patients (89%) experienced a total of 801 complications, of which the majority was classified as “minor” (CDC grade ≤ IIIa; 79%). There was no association between CTC status and any grade of a complication or CCI(®). Presence of CTC was associated with more aggressive clinicopathological UCB features. Conclusions: The overall rate of VTE and CVE was low in our study. Presence of CTC was neither associated with an increased risk of VTE nor CVE in UCB patients treated with RC. According to this study, CTC are not a qualified biomarker for individualized thromboprophylaxis management in these patients.