Thromboembolic events (TEE) are high-risk complications in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The purpose of the study was to investigate any differences in TEE-incidence, comparing peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) versus a totally implanted port (PORT) as CVA (central venous access) during NAC. We identified 947 cystectomized MIBC-patients from four Swedish medical centers in 2009-2021. Inclusion criteria were cT2-T4aN0M0 and 375 patients were finally eligible and evaluated, divided into: NAC-administered (n = 283) resp. NAC-naïve-NAC-eligible (n = 92), the latter as tentative control group. Data on TEEs and types of CVA were retrospectively collected and individually validated, from final transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TUR-B) to 30 days post-RC. Adjusted logistic regression and log rank test were used for statistical analyses. Amongst NAC-administered, 83% (n = 235) received PICCs and 15% (n = 42) PORTs. Preoperative TEEs occurred in 38 PICC-patients (16.2%) and in one PORT-patient (2.4%), with 47 individual events registered. We found a significantly increased odds ratio of TEE in NAC-administered PICC-patients compared to in PORT-patients (OR: 8.140, p-value: 0.042, 95% CI 1.078-61.455). Our findings indicate a greater risk for pre-RC TEEs with PICCs than with PORTs, suggesting favoring the usage of PORTs for MIBC-NAC-patients.

Rydell H, Huge Y, Eriksson V, Johansson M, Alamdari F, Svensson J, Aljabery F, Sherif A. Central Venous Access and the Risk for Thromboembolic Events in Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radical Cystectomy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. Life (Basel). 2022 Aug 6;12(8):1198. doi: 10.3390/life12081198. PMID: 36013377; PMCID: PMC9409854.