Key result
Incidental VTE shows no significant survival difference compared to clinically diagnosed VTE in lung cancer.
Why the study?
The clinical significance and prognostic differences between incidentally detected and clinically diagnosed VTE in patients with primary lung cancer are not well understood.
Does incidentally detected VTE compared to clinically suspected VTE affect survival in patients with primary lung cancer?
Observational (n=29)
No
Does incidentally detected VTE compared to clinically suspected VTE affect survival in patients with primary lung cancer?
In patients with primary lung cancer, incidentally detected VTE showed a numerically shorter but not statistically different median survival compared to clinically suspected VTE, though the study was underpowered.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Incidental VTE may warrant anticoagulation intensity similar to symptomatic events in lung cancer; leaves open confirmation in larger prospective studies.
Background Malignant tumors increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Particularly, patients with lung cancer who develop VTE have a poor prognosis. Although incidental VTE is common, its clinical significance is not well understood. This study compared the characteristics, clinical significance, and prognostic associations of clinically diagnosed versus incidentally detected VTE in patients with primary lung cancer. Methods This was a retrospective observational study. A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients with primary lung cancer newly diagnosed with VTE at our hospital between April 2014 and March 2025. Results Twenty-nine patients with primary lung cancer were newly diagnosed with VTE: 10 (34.5%) in the clinical group and 19 (65.5%) in the incidental group. The patients' overall mean age was 65.3 years, the proportion of men was 69%, and the mean body mass index was 22.7. Twenty-six cases (89.7%) were of adenocarcinoma, 12 (41.4%) had genetic mutations, and 24 (82.8%) were stage IV. Furthermore, 18 cases had pulmonary embolism with deep vein thrombosis and 28 (96.6%) were treated with anticoagulants. No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of age, sex, tissue type, genetic mutations, and stage. Median survival times after VTE diagnosis were 23 months in the clinical group and 10 months in the incidental group, with no significant difference between groups (hazard ratio: 1.88; 95% confidence interval: 0.70–5.07; P = 0.201). Conclusion No statistically significant difference in survival was observed between the groups, although this analysis was underpowered and the incidental group had a numerically shorter median survival time than the clinical group. These findings do not support equivalent prognosis between incidentally and clinically diagnosed VTE, and larger, adequately powered studies are warranted.
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Kamiike et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Primary lung cancer with venous thromboembolism (n=29). Incidentally detected venous thromboembolism vs. Clinically diagnosed venous thromboembolism was evaluated on Survival time after VTE diagnosis (HR 1.88, 95% CI 0.70-5.07, p=0.201). Incidentally detected VTE showed a numerically shorter median survival compared to clinically diagnosed VTE in primary lung cancer, though not statistically significant (HR 1.88; 95% CI 0.70-5.07; P=0.201).
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