Table 1 Characteristics of the patients in the 11 studies included in this meta-analysis

Young et al 2018 [11]

Patients with active cancer (diagnosis or treatment within 6 months, recurrent or metastatic cancer receiving rivaroxaban or LMWH for symptomatic PE, DVT or incidental PE

Rivaroxaban (91)

15 mg twice daily for 3 weeks then 20 mg daily

Esophagus (11)

Stomach (4)

Colorectal (55)

HB (2)

Pancreas (19)

Luminal (70)

Non-luminal (21)

6 months September 2013-December 2016)

Randomized controlled trial

Dalteparin (86)

200 IU/Kg once daily for 30 days then 150 IU/Kg

Esophagus (19)

Stomach (7)

Colorectal (47)

HB (2)

Pancreas (11)

Luminal (73)

Non-luminal (13)

Recio-Boiles et al. 2019 [23]

Patients receiving DOACs or LMWHs with GI cancer and symptomatic or incidental VTE

Rivaroxaban (37)

15 mg twice daily for 3 weeks then 20 mg daily

Esophagus (3)

Stomach (4)

Colorectal (26)

HB (1)

Pancreas (28)

NET (4)

Luminal (33)

Non-luminal (29)

NET (4)

6 months up (November 2013-February 2017)

Retrospective cohort study

Apixaban (29)

10 mg twice daily for 7 days then 5 mg twice daily

Enoxaparin (40)

1 mg/kg/dose twice daily or 1.5 mg/kg once daily

Esophagus (0)

Stomach (5)

Colorectal (11)

HB (6)

Pancreas (15)

NET (3)

Luminal (16)

Non-luminal (21)

NET (3)

Lee et al. 2019 [21]

Patients receiving rivaroxaban or LMWHs with GI cancer and confirmed PE or DVT

Rivaroxaban (78)

15 mg twice daily for 3 weeks then 20 mg daily

Stomach (19)

Colorectal (21)

Pancreato-biliary (38)

Luminal (40)

Non-luminal (38)

6 months (January 2012-December 2016)

Retrospective cohort study

LMWH (203)

-Dalteparin (177)

-Enoxaparin (25)

-Nadroparin (1)

Dalteparin: 200 IU/kg once daily Enoxaparin:

1 mg/kg/dose twice daily

Nadroparin:

85.5 IU/kg twice daily

Stomach (98)

Colorectal (11)

Pancreato-biliary (94)

Luminal (109)

Non-luminal (94)

Ageno et al. 2020 [24] and Agnelli et al. 2021 [25] Caravaggio study

Patients with active cancer or diagnosed within 2 years receiving apixaban or dalteparin for symptomatic or incidental PE/DVT

Apixaban (188)

10 mg twice daily for 7 days then 5 mg twice daily

Esophagus (13)

Stomach (8)

HB (11)

Pancreas (33)

Colorectal (120)

Unknown (3)

Luminal (141)

Non-luminal (44)

6 months

(April 2017-June 2019)

Randomized controlled trial (non-inferiority trial)

Dalteparin (187)

200 IU/Kg once daily for 30 days then 150 IU/Kg

Esophagus (10)

Stomach (17)

HB (9)

Pancreas (34)

Colorectal (112)

Unknown (5)

Luminal (139)

Non-luminal (43)

Mulder et al. 2020 [20]

Cancer patients with symptomatic or incidental PE/DVT receiving edoxaban or LMWH

Edoxaban (165)

60 mg once daily after initial LMWH 5 days

(30 mg once daily in creatinine clearance 30–50 mL/min, BM below 60 kg or concomitant treatment with potent P-glycoprotein inhibitors)

Esophagus (23)

Stomach (10)

Colorectal (83)

HB (14)

Pancreas (35)

Luminal (116)

Non-luminal (49)

6 months

(July 2015-December 2016)

Randomized controlled trial (non-inferiority trial)

Dalteparin (140)

200 IU/Kg once daily for 30 days then 150 IU/Kg

Esophagus (11)

Stomach (10)

Colorectal (79)

HB (12)

Pancreas (28)

Luminal (100)

Non-luminal (40)

Kim et al. 2020 [22]

Patients with upper GI tract and HBP cancer receiving LMWH or rivaroxaban (including unresectable or metastatic cancer)

Rivaroxaban (69)

15 mg twice daily for 3 weeks then 20 mg daily

Esophagus (1)

Stomach (23)

HB (18)

Pancreas (27)

Luminal (24)

Non-luminal (45)

6 months

(January 2004-December 2014)

Retrospective cohort study

LMWH (105)

-Dalteparin (57)

-Enoxaparin (48)

Dalteparin: 200 IU/Kg once daily for 30 days then 150 IU/Kg

Enoxaparin:

1 mg/kg twice daily

Esophagus (7)

Stomach (52)

HB (21)

Pancreas (25)

Luminal (59)

Non-luminal (46)

Mokadem et al. 2021 [26]

Patients with active malignancy presenting with acute deep venous thrombosis and still treated with chemotherapy

Apixaban (25)

10 mg twice daily for 7 days then 5 mg twice daily

Colorectal (23)

Liver (2)

Luminal (23)

Non-luminal (2)

6 months

(July 2019-June 2020)

Randomized controlled trial

Enoxaparin (23)

1 mg/kg twice daily

Colorectal (19)

Liver (4)

Luminal (19)

Non-luminal (4)

Chen et al. 2021 [27]

Patients aged 18 years or older with active cancer who developed newly diagnosed VTE

DOACs (96)

Apixaban: 5 mg twice daily Edoxaban: 60 mg once daily Dabigratan: 150 mg twice daily Rvaroxaban: 15 mg twice for the first 21 days and then 20 mg once daily

Esophagus (8)

Stomach (8)

Colorectal (80)

Luminal (96)

12 months

(January 2012-January 2019)

Population-based cohort study

Enoxaparin (122)

1 mg/kg twice daily

Esophagus (9)

Stomach (38)

Colorectal (75)

Luminal (122)

Houghton et al. 2021 [28]

Consecutive GI cancer patients with acute cancer associated VTE

Apixaban (170) Rivaroxaban (93)

Not available

Upper GI (29)

Lower GI (103)

Pancreas (103)

Hepatobiliary (28)

Luminal (132)

Non-luminal (131)

3 and 6 months

(March 2013-April 2020)

Prospective cohort study

Enoxaparin (189)

Upper GI (29)

Lower GI (79)

Pancreas (59)

Hepatobiliary (22)

Luminal (108)

Non-luminal (81)

Kim et al. 2022 [29]

Patients aged 19–80 years old, with histologically confirmed, advanced upper GI tract, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic cancer, and newly diagnosed (within 2 weeks before randomization) symptomatic or incidental VTE

Apixaban or Rivaroxaban (44)

Apixaban: 10 mg twice daily for 7 days then 5 mg twice daily

Rivaroxaban: 15 mg twice daily for 3 weeks then 20 mg daily

Esophagus (8)

Stomach (19)

Colorectal (0)

Pancreas (6)

Hepatobiliary (11)

Luminal (27)

Non-luminal (17)

Every 1–4 weeks, and then followed up every 3 months for 1 year or until death (August 2017-June 2020)

Randomized controlled trial

Dalteparin

(46)

200 IU/Kg once daily for 30 days then 150 IU/Kg

Esophagus (5)

Stomach (18)

Colorectal (1)

Pancreas (12)

Hepatobiliary (10)

Luminal (24)

Non-luminal (22)