Treatment of central venous catheter‐associated deep venous thrombosis in cancer patients with rivaroxaban

patients treated with conventional ABO identical, leukoreduced, irradiated transfusions. Long-term mortality in recipients of washed transfusions (20–40%) was half to two-thirds of that in the comparable historical comparison group and the current literature (60%) (Supporting Information Table 5). A limitation of these data, in addition to the lack of randomization, is that we did not collect detailed information on treatment regimens (e.g., choice and dose of anthracycline in AML). The striking differences we observed in long-term survival are unlikely solely due to progress in treatment regimens or supportive care. Identical differences were observed when we restricted the comparison to the years 2003–2005 and 2006–2008. For lower risk patients (favorable or intermediate cytogenetics; <46 years of age or younger) in New York State treated between 2006 and 2011 long-term mortality rate was 2.5-fold higher (50% versus 20%) in conventionally treated patients compared with recipients of washed transfusions. This approach has the potential to substantially improve outcomes for many patients with AML. This may be limited, at present, to younger patients with favorable or intermediate cytogenetics. Larger randomized trials will be required to determine whether our promising results are generalizable and reproducible, and whether they might be applicable to older patients (who often receive less intensive therapy), and to patients with other hematologic malignancies or solid tumors.