Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma and Associated Risk Factors: A Retrospective Chart Review

This was a single-centre retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma (GB) at the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC). The charts of 528 patients diagnosed with GB at the JCC from an 8-year period from 1 January 2013, to 31 December 2020, were reviewed. The primary objective was to assess the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in newly diagnosed GB. The secondary objective was to identify patients at higher risk of developing VTE to understand who might benefit from prophylactic anticoagulation. Data on the following factors were collected: date of diagnosis, time to death or last follow-up, location and size of tumour, degree of resection, presence and location of weakness, performance status, body mass index, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking history), baseline blood counts, and treatments administered. A total of 111 of the 528 patients (21%) were diagnosed with VTE. Most VTE (87%) occurred within 12 months of diagnosis. A previous cancer diagnosis and recurrence or disease progression were the only factors identified as predictive of a higher risk for developing thrombosis. Newly diagnosed patients with GB have been shown to have a significant risk of developing VTE. Consideration should be given for prophylactic anticoagulation at the time of diagnosis.