title: Venous thromboembolism during primary treatment of ovarian clear cell carcinoma is associated with decreased survival.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during primary treatment of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) on survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  After Institutional Review Board approval, 74 cases of OCCC were retrieved from our pathology files. Clinical and pathological data were obtained by medical record and pathology review. Standard statistical analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 74 patients with OCCC, VTE was diagnosed in 11 (15%) during primary treatment and 7 (9%) at time of cancer recurrence. 56 (76%) patients never developed VTE. Patients with VTE during OCCC primary treatment had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than OCCC patients without VTE (median PFS 11 vs. 76 months, p=0.01, median OS 19 vs. 90 months, p=0.001). Patients with VTE during OCCC primary treatment had a 3.9-fold increase in risk of recurrence (p=0.007) and a 6.3-fold increase in risk of death (p<0.001). After controlling for cancer stage, VTE during OCCC primary treatment remained an independent prognostic factor for death (HR=3.6, p=0.005). No patient died of VTE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VTE during OCCC primary treatment is associated with a significantly higher risk of cancer recurrence and death. This increased risk is not attributable to VTE-related mortality and raises the possibility that a paracrine circuit involving thrombosis might contribute to a more aggressive tumor biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8635 West 3rd Street, Suite 160W, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. Electronic address: Elena.Diaz@cshs.org.
authors.forename: Elena S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Walts
authors.forename: Beth Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Karlan
authors.forename: Christine S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma; Survival; Venous thromboembolism