He and his coinvestigators in the RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulant Therapy) study made a similar point in their investigation of 18,113 patients with atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation for stroke protection. In that randomized trial of dabigatran (Pradaxa) versus warfarin, roughly 1 in 12 major GI bleeding events was found to be related to an occult colorectal or gastric cancer (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 May;15[5]:682-90).
“The data are very consistent. The message to cardiologists is that no bleeding should be disregarded in patients on oral anticoagulation,” declared Dr. Wallentin, professor of cardiology at Uppsala (Sweden) University.
COMPASS was sponsored by Bayer. Dr. Eikelboom reported receiving research grants from that company and more than half a dozen others.