Assessing the need for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis at the time of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for ovarian cancer: A literature review

Gynecologic cancers, especially ovarian cancer, are associated with a high incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Recent data have shown the risk of VTE development is not only limited to the postoperative period; there also appears to be an increased risk during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) administration, prompting the need for better risk stratification in this setting. We sought to assess the risk of VTE development in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing NACT. We performed a PubMed literature review using the following medical terms: advanced ovarian cancer, advanced peritoneal cancer, advanced fallopian tube cancer, thrombosis, thromboembolic events, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Eligible studies included patients with advanced ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer who underwent NACT and had VTE. VTE was defined as either a deep venous thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism. Seven relevant studies were identified; all 7 were published between 2017 and 2021. Across these studies, we identified 1427 patients who underwent NACT and either had VTE at presentation or developed VTE during their treatment course. Of these patients, 1171 underwent NACT and were at risk for VTE development and were included in our pooled analysis. Of these patients, 144 (12.3%) developed VTE. VTE prophylaxis may be considered in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing NACT. •Venous thromboembolism (VTE) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) can worsen morbidity and delay surgery.•The incidence of VTE during NACT administration in patients with ovarian cancer is not negligible.•Further scoring methods should be established to stratify high-risk patients with ovarian cancer.