Thrombin generation and platelet activation in cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy - A prospective cohort study

Profile of haemostasis and coagulation in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis undergoing cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermal chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

One-third of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis undergoing cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) present alterations in conventional coagulation test results. However, perioperative coagulation has not been systematically investigated in these patients. This study aimed to investigate hemostatic changes in such patients.

METHODS

This prospective observational study included patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis who underwent CRS-HIPEC. Variables of conventional coagulation and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) parameters of patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC at baseline (time 0, T0: before surgery) were compared with those of healthy blood donors (HBD). Blood samples were collected at baseline (T0), 2-h (T2), and 72-h (T72) after surgery.

RESULTS

44 patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC and 40 HBDs were included. At T0, patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC presented with lower hemoglobin levels and elevated C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, factor XIII (FXIII), and D-dimer levels than HBDs. At T2, significant decreases in hemoglobin, platelet count, fibrinogen, and FXIII levels were observed. In contrast, D-dimer and von Willebrand factor levels increased. Regarding ROTEM parameters, in the postoperative period, increased clotting time in thromboelastometry with extrinsic activation, and maximum clot firmness in thromboelastometry with fibrin contribution, along with a significant decrease in maximum clot firmness in thromboelastometry with extrinsic activation without a hyperfibrinolysis pattern, were observed. Platelet function, as assessed using the platelet function assay, was normal.

CONCLUSIONS

CRS-HIPEC causes coagulopathy secondary to a pronounced platelet drop, worsening of fibrinogen and FXIII levels, and impaired clot firmness as evidenced by ROTEM. A proinflammatory status was ubiquitously observed.

Changes in Coagulation in Cancer Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Treatment (HIPEC)-A Systematic Review

Venous thromboembolism and postoperative bleeding are complications of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The aim of this systematic review was to summarize current knowledge on the effect of cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC on coagulation and fibrinolysis within 10 days after surgery. Studies were identified in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science on December 12, 2022. Data on biomarkers of coagulation and fibrinolysis measured preoperatively up to the 10th postoperative day were extracted. Among 15 included studies, 13 studies reported markers of primary hemostasis. Eleven studies found reduced platelet count following cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC and two studies reported reduced platelet function. Twelve studies reported impaired secondary hemostasis until postoperative day 10 indicated by prolonged international normalized ratio, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time. Fibrinogen was decreased in three studies from preoperative to postoperative day 3 switching to increased levels until postoperative day 10. In accordance, three studies found reduced maximum amplitude and maximum clot firmness by thromboelastography/thromboelastometry (ROTEM/TEG) on the first postoperative day indicating impaired clot strength. Four studies demonstrated increased d-dimer, factor (F) VIII, and thrombin generation during the 10 postoperative days. Four studies investigated fibrinolysis by ROTEM/TEG and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) after cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC reporting contradictive results. In conclusion, a decrease in platelet count and subtle changes in secondary hemostasis were found following cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC. Data on the effect of cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC on fibrinolysis are sparse and this needs to be further investigated.

Extreme Leukocytosis and Gangrenous Cholecystitis Associated with Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC-Treated Mucinos Ovary Cancer: Case Report and Literature Review

Mucinous ovarian cancer occurs sporadically, with a frequency of approximately 3-5% among all subtypes of ovarian cancer. Extreme leukocytosis >40,000 and 50,000 has been described in most solid tumors and is associated with a poor prognosis, although there is a lack of literal data of its occurrence after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC in the treatment of advanced mucinous ovarian cancer. There is higher risk of the occurrence of cholecystitis in oncology patients compared to the general population, although there is no formal evidence for this, and the association with ovarian cancer is accompanied by a relative risk of 1.38. Hypercalcemia-hyperleukocytosis is a syndrome associated with head and neck cancers, although, to our knowledge, it has not been described in mucinous ovarian cancer, especially after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC.

Comparison of coagulation parameters associated with fibrinogen concentrate and cryoprecipitate for treatment of bleeding in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery for pseudomyxoma peritonei: Subanalysis from a randomized, controlled phase 2 study

Background and Aims

The FORMA-05 study compared the efficacy and safety of human fibrinogen concentrate (HFC) versus cryoprecipitate for hemostasis in bleeding patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery for pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). This subanalysis explores coagulation parameters in the FORMA-05 patients, with a focus on the seven patients who developed thromboembolic events (TEEs).

Methods

FORMA-05 was a prospective, randomized, controlled phase 2 study in which patients with predicted blood loss ≥2 L received HFC (4 g) or cryoprecipitate (two pools of five units), repeated as needed. Plasma fibrinogen, platelet count, factor (F) XIII, FVIII, von Willebrand Factor (VWF) antigen and ristocetin cofactor activity levels, EXTEM A20, FIBTEM A20, and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) were measured perioperatively.

Results

Fibrinogen, platelet count, EXTEM and FIBTEM A20, FXIII, FVIII, VWF levels, and ETP were maintained throughout surgery in both the HFC group (N = 21) and the cryoprecipitate group (N = 23). Seven TEEs were observed in the cryoprecipitate group. The two patients developing deep vein thromboses (DVT) appeared to have a procoagulant status preoperatively, with distinctively higher fibrinogen level, FIBTEM A20, and platelet levels, all of which persisted perioperatively. The five patients developing pulmonary embolism (PE) had slightly higher VWF levels preoperatively, with a disproportionate increase intraoperatively (postcryoprecipitate administration) and postoperatively.

Conclusions

Patients treated with HFC versus cryoprecipitate showed broad overlaps in coagulation parameters. Patients with PE experienced a disproportionate VWF rise following cryoprecipitate administration, whereas patients developing DVT displayed a procoagulant status before and following surgery. Preoperative testing may allow these patients to be identified.

Hematological Alterations after Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have benefits for survival in some cancers with peritoneal metastasis. Hematologic toxicity described rate is 2 to 38%.

METHODS

Patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) after CRS and HIPEC over 78 months. The data recorded were demographic characteristics, the severity of illness, complete blood samples, the type of cancer and extension, HIPEC drug and temperature, ICU and hospital stay and mortality, bleeding, and the need for transfusion of blood products.

RESULTS

Of the 96 patients included, 77.1% presented hematological complications: 8.3% leukopenia (<4000/mm³ leucocytes), 66.7% anemia (hemoglobin < 10 mg/dL), and 22.9% coagulopathy (INR < 1.5, or/and aPTT < 45 s, or/and platelet count < 100,000/mm³, or/and <100 mg/dL of serum fibrinogen). Leukopenia was higher in ovarian cancer or those treated with doxorubicin. Females with anemia, ovarian cancer, and those treated with cisplatin or doxorubicin had longer ICU stays. Bleeding complications were low-corrected in a conservative manner. The median ICU stay was 5 (4.0-5.0) days. The ICU mortality rate was 1.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, 77.1% of patients treated with CRS and HIPEC developed hematological complications during the postoperative period; the majority of them were not severe and resolved spontaneously, without an effect on mortality or hospital stay.

Platelet Hemostasis Reactions at Different Temperatures Correlate with Intracellular Calcium Concentration

Hypo- and hyperthermia affect both primary and secondary hemostasis; however, there are controversial data concerning platelet activation and the underlying mechanisms under hypo- and hyperthermia. The discrepancies in the data could be partly explained by different approaches to hemostatic reactions analysis. We applied a new LaSca-TMF laser particle analyzer for a simultaneous fluorescence and laser scattering analysis of platelet responses at different temperatures. Human platelets were activated by ADP in a wide range of temperatures, and platelet transformations (e.g., a shape change reaction, aggregation and clot formation) and the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) were analyzed by LaSca-TMF and confocal microscopy. The platelet shape change reaction gradually increased with a rising temperature. The platelet aggregation strongly decreased at low ADP concentrations with the augmentation of the temperature and was independent of the temperature at high ADP concentrations. In contrast, the clotting time decreased with a temperature increase. Similar to the aggregation response, a rise in [Ca²⁺]_i triggered by low ADP concentrations was higher under hypothermic conditions and the differences were independent of the temperature at high ADP concentrations. We showed that the key reactions of cellular hemostasis are differentially regulated by temperature and demonstrated for the first time that an accelerated aggregation under hypothermic conditions directly correlated with an increased level in [Ca²⁺]_i in platelets.

HIPEC as a risk factor for postoperative coagulopathy after cytoreductive surgery for peritoneal metastases

AIM OF THE STUDY

Postoperative coagulopathy is a poorly investigated condition after Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC). This study aims to evaluate the occurrence and risk factors of coagulative disorders after surgery for peritoneal metastases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The records were extracted from a prospectively maintained database of consecutive patients who underwent CRS between January 2018 and September 2020. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee. For each patient, the coagulation profile (CP), which included international normalized ratio (INR), partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and platelets (PLTS) before surgery, intensive care unit admission,1st, 3rd, 5th postoperative day (POD) and the day before discharge was collected. Risk factors for postoperative coagulopathy were identified at multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

During the study period, 125 patients were included in the study. Among these, 48 (38.4%) underwent CRS only, and 77 (61.6%) CRS followed by HIPEC. Twenty-one patients (16.8%) developed severe coagulopathy, 5 (10.4%) after CRS and 16 (20.8%) after CRS-HIPEC. At multivariate analysis, HIPEC and blood loss ≥ 500 ml represented independent risk factors for severe alteration of INR > 1.5 (p = 0.05, OR 1.2) and PLTS < 75 10⁹/L (p = 0.03, OR 1.3), respectively.

CONCLUSION

HIPEC is an independent risk factor for postoperative coagulopathy after CRS. Further studies are necessary to assess the usefulness of the point-of-care test in patients treated with CRS-HIPEC.

Current Trends in Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for Peritoneal Disease from Appendiceal and Colorectal Malignancies

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is a poor prognostic factor for all malignancies. This extent of metastatic disease progression remains difficult to treat with systemic therapies due to poor peritoneal vascularization resulting in limited drug delivery and penetration into tissues. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are surgical interventions that directly target peritoneal tumors and have improved outcomes for PC resulting from appendiceal and colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite these radical therapies, long-term survival remains infrequent, and recurrence is common. The reasons for these outcomes are multifactorial and signal the need for the continued development of novel therapeutics, techniques, and approaches to improve outcomes for these patients. Here, we review landmark historical studies that serve as the foundation for current recommendations, recent discoveries, clinical trials, active research, and areas of future interest in CRS/HIPEC to treat PC originating from appendiceal and colorectal malignancies.

Effect of remote ischemic preconditioning on fibrin formation and metabolism in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery: a randomized clinical trial

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) prior to surgery has recently been shown to reduce the risk of myocardial injury and myocardial infarction after hip fracture surgery. This study investigated whether RIPC initiated antithrombotic mechanisms in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. This trial was a predefined sub-study of a multicentre randomized clinical trial. Adult patients with cardiovascular risk factors undergoing hip fracture surgery between September 2015 and September 2017 were randomized 1 : 1 to RIPC or control. RIPC was initiated before surgery with a tourniquet applied to the upper arm and it consisted of four cycles of 5 min of forearm ischemia followed by five minutes of reperfusion. The outcomes such as surgery-induced changes in thrombin generation, fibrinogen/fibrin turnover, tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and fibrin structure measurements were determined preoperatively (prior to RIPC) and 2 h postoperatively. One hundred and thirty-seven patients were randomized to RIPC (n = 65) or control (n = 72). There were no significant changes in thrombin generation, fibrinogen/fibrin turnover or fibrin structure measurements determined pre and postoperatively between patients in the RIPC and control groups. Subgroup analyses on patients not on anticoagulant therapy (n = 103), patients receiving warfarin (n = 17) and patients receiving direct oral anticoagulant therapy (n = 18) showed no significant changes between the RIPC-patients and controls. RIPC did not affect changes in thrombin generation, fibrin turnover or fibrin structure in adult patients undergoing hip fracture surgery suggesting that the cardiovascular effect of RIPC in hip fracture surgery is not related to alterations in fibrinogen/fibrin metabolism.

Thromboelastography-guided blood transfusion during cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: study protocol for a prospective randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is a well-established treatment for peritoneal cancer (PC). However, this kind of combination therapy is associated with a high incidence of complications. Moreover, relative studies have indicated that traditional laboratory testing is insufficient to demonstrate the overall haemostatic physiology of CRS/HIPEC. Thromboelastography (TEG), administered by monitoring dynamic changes in haemostasis, has been shown to contribute to reducing transfusion requirements and improving survival. However, there is no evidence to verify whether TEG can be applied to guide transfusion strategies during CRS/HIPEC. Therefore, we aim to investigate whether TEG-guided blood product transfusion (TEG-BT) therapy is superior to traditional blood product transfusion (T-BT) therapy for guiding perioperative blood transfusion treatment and improving the prognosis of patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The TEG-BT versus T-BT study is a single-centre, randomised, blinded outcome assessment clinical trial of 162 patients with PC, aged 18-64 years and undergoing CRS/HIPEC. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive TEG-BT or T-BT. The primary outcome will be the evaluation of perioperative blood transfusion, which refers to the total amount of blood transfusion given from the time patients enter the operating room up to 72 hours postoperatively. The secondary outcomes will include the transfusion volume during surgery, total amount of intraoperative infusion, amount of blood lost during the operation, total blood transfusion between 0 and 72 hours after surgery, lowest haemoglobin level within 72 hours after surgery, intensive care unit duration, overall length of stay, total cost of hospitalisation and adverse events. Data will be analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol has been approved by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated with Capital Medical University (Approval Number: sjtkyll-lx-2020-3). The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000028835).

Efficacy of fibrinogen concentrate in major abdominal surgery - A prospective, randomized, controlled study in cytoreductive surgery for pseudomyxoma peritonei

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is associated with excessive bleeding and acquired fibrinogen deficiency. Maintaining plasma fibrinogen may support hemostasis.

OBJECTIVES

To compare hemostatic efficacy and safety of human fibrinogen concentrate (HFC) vs cryoprecipitate as fibrinogen sources for bleeding patients with acquired fibrinogen deficiency undergoing PMP CRS.

METHODS

FORMA-05 was an off-label single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled phase 2 study. Patients undergoing PMP surgery with predicted intraoperative blood loss ≥2 L received human fibrinogen concentrate (HFC; 4 g) or cryoprecipitate (two pools of 5 units, containing approximately 4.0-4.6 g fibrinogen), repeated as needed. The primary endpoint was a composite of intraoperative and postoperative efficacy, graded using objective 4-point scales and adjudicated by an independent committee.

RESULTS

One hundred percent of patients receiving HFC (95% confidence interval: 83.9-100.0, n = 21) or cryoprecipitate (84.6-100.0, n = 22) achieved hemostatic success. HFC demonstrated noninferior efficacy (P = .0095; post hoc) and arrived in the operating room 46 minutes faster. There were significantly greater mean increases with HFC vs cryoprecipitate in plasma fibrinogen (0.78 vs 0.35 g/L; P < .0001) and FIBTEM A20 (3.33 vs 0.93 mm; P = .003). Factor XIII, factor VIII, and von Willebrand factor activity were maintained throughout surgery. Only red blood cells were transfused intraoperatively (median units: HFC group, 1.0; cryoprecipitate group, 0.5). Thromboembolic events were detected with cryoprecipitate only. Safety was otherwise comparable between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Human fibrinogen concentrate was hemostatically efficacious in patients undergoing major abdominal PMP surgery, with a favorable safety profile. These results are relevant to other surgical settings where bleeding and acquired fibrinogen deficiency occur.

Network of Mediators for Vascular Inflammation and Leakage Is Dysbalanced during Cytoreductive Surgery for Late-Stage Ovarian Cancer

Background

Cytoreductive surgery (CS) in late-stage ovarian cancer patients is often challenging due to extensive volume shifts, and high fluid intake may provoke postoperative complications. Expression of vasoactive mediators is altered in cancer patients, which may affect systemic vascular function. We sought to assess how serum levels of vasoactive markers and mediators change during CS in ovarian cancer.

Methods

Following IRB approval and informed consent, pre- and postoperative serum samples were analyzed in 26 late-stage ovarian cancer patients using multiplex protein arrays and ELISA.

Results

The proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines IL-6, IL-8, and CCL2 were significantly elevated after 24 hrs compared to the baseline values, with IL-6 and IL-8 being most prominently increased. While ANGPT1 remained unchanged after surgery, its competitive antagonist ANGPT2 was significantly increased. In contrast, serum levels of the ANGPT receptor TIE2 were decreased to 0.6 of the baseline values. While VEGF-D, E-selectin, P-selectin, ICAM-1, and PECAM-1 remained unchanged, serum activity of both thrombomodulin and syndecan-1 was significantly increased following surgery.

Conclusion

We identified a regulatory network of acute-phase reaction during CS in late-stage ovarian cancer. This suggests that IL-6 exerts positive regulation of other proinflammatory mediators and, by upregulating ANGPT2 and suppressing ANGPT1, induces a serum profile that promotes vascular leakage. This may contribute to the observed hemodynamic alterations during CS procedures.