Introduction:

One in 10 patients with stroke concurrently has cancer; however, the impact of their combination on survival has not been well established; consequently, stroke and cancer are likely to have unrecognized associations.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to compare the stroke risk factors, presentations, and outcomes between stroke patients with and without cancer, to recognize this as an added hazard element that might impact mortality rates.

Methods:

Data were prospectively acquired at a cancer referral center from March 2011 to February 2018. Patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of cancer, who were sent for neuro-oncology consultation and showed evidence by MRI of suffering a stroke during follow-up were compared with a previously reported cohort of patients with stroke and similar demographic characteristics (RENAMEVASC and PREMIER studies), employing Student's t-test after determining the mean and standard deviation using Hazen's equation.

Results:

A total of 270 patients with cancer-related stroke were compared to 2000 patients with non-cancer stroke. Stroke risk factors for the cohort of patients with cancer were dyslipidemia, alcohol abuse, and tobacco use, with a median follow-up after the stroke of 13.8 months. Mortality rates at 30 and 90-days were similar between both groups; however, at 6 and 12-months they were higher in patients with cancer-related stroke (6 months: 37 vs. 23%, RR 1.62, p < 0.0001; 12 months: 43 vs. 29%, RR 1.48, p = 0.00001).

Conclusion:

Mid-term and long-term survival rates were worse in cancer patients with stroke compared with those without cancer.

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