Abstract

Introduction: People with cancer are at increased risk of incidental venous thromboembolism (VTE) and PET-CT imaging is commonly used in this population. However, the prevalence of incidental VTE detected by PET-CT in patients with cancer and its impact on survival are unknown. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. 1331 consecutive adult patients with cancer who under went PET-CT examination between 2009 and 2012 were included in the study (mean age: 57 +/- 15 years). PET-CT reports were reviewed to identify patients with incidental VTE at the time of examination. Survival rates were assessed with Kaplan-Meier curves. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the association between incidental VTE and overall survival, after controlling for clinical variables. Results: Incidental VTE was detected in 19 patients (1.4%). Patients with genitourinary malignancies, colorectal cancer and lung cancer had the highest rates of incidental VTE at PET-CT. At multivariate analysis, incidental VTE detected by PET-CT was associated with worse overall survival independently of patient age, hospitalization status at time of PET-CT examination, and the presence of metastatic disease (Hazard ratio = 2.03; 95% confidence interval = 1.08-3.81, p = 0.028). Conclusion: Incidental VTE was detected in 1.4% of adult patients with cancer undergoing PET-CT imaging. Diagnosis of incidental VTE at PET-CT imaging was associated with worse overall survival in this population. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.