Stroke and cancer

Rev Neurol (Paris). 2023 Apr 4:S0035-3787(23)00891-3. doi: 10.1016/j.neurol.2023.03.009. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAssociation between stroke and cancer is well-established and has led to a growing literature over the past decades. Risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke is increased among patients with newly diagnosed cancer and 5-10% of stroke patients bear an active cancer. All cancers are concerned, but hematological malignancy in childhood and adenocarcinoma from lung, digestive tract and pancreas in adults are most usually identified. Unique stroke mechanisms are dominated by hypercoagulation, a condition that may lead to both arterial and venous cerebral thromboembolism. Direct tumor effects, infections and therapies may also play some active role in stroke happening. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is helpful in: i) detecting typical patterns of ischemic stroke in cancer patients (i.e. concomitant strokes in multiple arterial territories); ii) distinguishing spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage from tumor bleeding. Recent literature suggests that acute treatment using intravenous thrombolysis is safe in non-metastatic cancer patients. First results from endovascular procedures are reassuring, although arterial reobstruction is more frequent than in cancer-free patients. Prognosis is worse in patients with compared to those without cancer and mostly depends upon several predictors such as the initial stroke severity and the presence of metastasis. In the present r...
Source: Revue Neurologique - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research