Growth differentiation factor-15 and prediction of cancer-associated thrombosis and mortality
In collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna and the University Hospital of Zurich, members of the Center for Molecular Cardiology have studied the role of growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) for its predictive utility for adverse events in patients with cancer. Indeed, cancer patients are at increased risk of venous and arterial thromboembolic/thrombotic events (VTE/ATE) and accurate tools to objectively assess this risk represents an unmet medical need. While GDF-15 improves cardiovascular risk assessment, its predictive utility in cancer patients remained undefined. Of note, we found that GDF-15 is strongly associated with survival in cancer patients, independent of established risk factors. Whilst an association with ATE and VTE was identified in univariable analysis, GDF-15 was not independently associated with these outcomes and failed to improve established VTE prediction models.