title: Elevated white blood cell count and outcome in cancer patients with venous thromboembolism. Findings from the RIETE Registry.
abstract: A significant association between elevated white blood cell (WBC) count and mortality in patients with cancer has been reported, but the predictive value of elevated WBC on mortality in cancer patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been explored. RIETE is an ongoing registry of consecutive patients with acute VTE. We compared the three-month outcome of cancer patients with acute VTE according to their WBC count at baseline. As of May 2007, 3805 patients with active cancer and acute VTE had been enrolled in RIETE. Of them, 215 (5.7%) had low- (<4,000 cells/microl), 2,403 (63%) normal- (4,000-11,000 cells/microl), 1,187 (31%) elevated (>11,000 cells/microl) WBC count. During the study period 190 patients (5.0%) had recurrent VTE, 156 (4.1%) major bleeding, 889 (23%) died (399 of disseminated cancer, 113 of PE, 46 of bleeding. Patients with elevated WBC count at baseline had an increased incidence of recurrent VTE (odds ratio [OR]: 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-2.2), major bleeding (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.1) or death (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 2.3-3.2). Most of the reported causes of death were significantly more frequent in patients with elevated WBC count. Multivariate analysis confirmed that elevated WBC count was independently associated with an increased incidence of all three complications. In conclusion, cancer patients with acute VTE and elevated WBC count had an increased incidence of VTE recurrences, major bleeding or death. This worse outcome was consistent among all subgroups and persisted after multivariate adjustment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Santa Maria de Rosell, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trujillo-Santos
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Micco
authors.forename: Mariateresa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iannuzzo
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lecumberri
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guijarro
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Madridano
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monreal
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D001118:Argentina; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants