Cohort study of pulmonary embolism-related mortality in patients with cancer

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. A retrospective cohort study using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research Data for Epidemiological Research data system investigated trends in age-adjusted mortality rates due to acute PE among US patient with cancer aged 15 year or older from 2011 to 2020. This cohort study of over 27 million individuals found that despite decreases in cancer-related mortality rates, temporal trends demonstrated an increase in PE-related mortality among patients with cancer, with a significantly higher rate of increase observed in younger patients aged 15 to 64 years, Black, Hispanic, and White individuals, and in the Southern region of the US. The authors conclude that these findings highlight a concerning increase in PE-related mortality in patients with cancer.