BACKGROUND: Anticoagulation among patients with cancer and atrial fibrillation is challenging due to elevated risk of bleeding and stroke. We characterized use of oral anticoagulants among patients with cancer and non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).
METHODS: We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data and included patients with cancer aged ≥ 66 years with an incident diagnosis of NVAF from 2010 to 2016. We used a Cox proportional hazard model and multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with anticoagulant use versus no use and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus warfarin use, respectively.
RESULTS: Of 27,702 patients with cancer and NVAF, 4469 (16.1%) used DOACs and 3577 (12.9%) used warfarin. Among 8046 anticoagulant users, DOACs use increased from 21.8% in 2011 to 76.2% in 2016, with a corresponding decline in warfarin use from 78.2% to 23.8%. Nearly 7 out of 10 patients with cancer and NVAF did not initiate anticoagulation in 2016. Anticoagulant use was more likely among those with higher CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores (hazard ratio [HR] 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-1.90 for score ≥ 6 vs. 1) or with lower HAS-BLED scores (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.67-2.30 for score 1 vs. ≥ 6). Among anticoagulant users, DOAC use was less likely than warfarin in those with higher CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores (odds ratio [OR] 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.84 for scoe ≥ 6 vs. 1).
CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 7 out of 10 patients with cancer and NVAF did not receive anticoagulation. Use of DOACs increased from 2010 to 2016, with a corresponding decline in warfarin use. DOACs are used less than warfarin among those at higher risk of stroke
