Coagulation biomarkers and prediction of venous thromboembolism and survival in small cell lung cancer: A sub-study of RASTEN - A randomized trial with low molecular weight heparin

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 9;13(11):e0207387. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207387. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Coagulation activation and venous thromboembolism (VTE) are hallmarks of cancer; however, there is an unmet need of improved biomarkers for individualized anticoagulant treatment. The present sub-study of the RASTEN trial was designed to explore the role of coagulation biomarkers in predicting VTE risk and outcome in a homogenous cancer patient population. RASTEN is a multicenter, randomized phase-3 trial investigating the survival effect of low molecular weight heparin enoxaparin when added to standard treatment in newly diagnosed small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. Plasma collected at baseline, during treatment, and at follow-up was used in this ad hoc sub-study (N = 242). Systemic coagulation was assessed using four assays reflecting various facets of the coagulation system: Total tissue factor (TF); extracellular vesicle associated TF (EV-TF); procoagulant phospholipids (PPL); and thrombin generation (TG). We found small variations of biomarker levels between baseline, during treatment and at follow-up, and appeared independent on low molecular weight heparin treatment. Overall, none of the measured biomarkers at any time-point did significantly associate with VTE incidence, although increased total TF at baseline showed significant association in control patients not receiving low molecular weight heparin (P = 0.03). Increased TG-Peak was significantly associated with decreased overall survival (OS; P = 0.03), especially in patients with extensive disease. Low baseline EV-TF predicted a worse survival in the low molecular weight heparin as compared with the control group (HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.04-1.95; P = 0.03; P for interaction = 0.12). We conclude that the value of the analyzed coagulation biomarkers for the prediction of VTE risk was very limited in SCLC patients. The associations between TG-Peak and EV-TF with patient survival and response to low molecular weight heparin therapy, respectively, warrant further studies on the role of coagulation activation in SCLC aggressiveness.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood*
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Extracellular Vesicles / metabolism
  • Female
  • Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Lung Neoplasms* / blood
  • Lung Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms* / mortality
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phospholipids / blood
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* / blood
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* / drug therapy
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* / mortality
  • Survival Rate
  • Thromboplastin / metabolism
  • Venous Thromboembolism* / blood
  • Venous Thromboembolism* / drug therapy
  • Venous Thromboembolism* / mortality

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight
  • Phospholipids
  • Thromboplastin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by The Swedish Research Council, 2012-3211, https://vr.se/ (M.B.); the Swedish Cancer Society, CAN 2017/664, https://www.cancerfonden.se (M.B.); the Skåne University Hospital donation funds (M.B.); the Medical Faculty, Lund University (M.B.); the Governmental funding of clinical research within the national health services (ALF) (M.B., E.G.), the Gunnar Nilsson, Anna Lisa and Sven Eric Lundgren, and Kamprad Foundations (M.B.); the Danish Research Council for Independent research, 4183-00268, https://ufm.dk/ (S.R.K.); and the Obel Family Foundation, 26145, http://www.european-funding-guide.eu/scholarship/7862-obel-family-foundation (S.R.K.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.