Tirofiban in the treatment of cancer-associated ischemic stroke

Z.-M. Zhang, Z.-H. Lin, G.-L. Zhu

Department of Neurology, People’s Hospital of Chenghai Shantou, Shantou, China. zhuguolianoncology@126.com

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• Neurology
• Oncology

OBJECTIVE: It is still unknown whether early tirofiban treatment improves prognosis in patients with cancer-related ischemic stroke without intravenous thrombolytic therapy. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of tirofiban in patients with cancer-associated ischemic stroke.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 75 patients with cancer and mild to moderate ischemic stroke, 34 of whom received tirofiban treatment and 41 aspirin treatment. The aspirin group received aspirin 100 mg QD, while the tirofiban group received continuous intravenous administration of tirofiban at a dosage of 0.1 μg/kg/min for 48 hours before switching to oral aspirin.

RESULTS: The 24-hour and 7-day National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores for the tirofiban group were lower than those for the aspirin group (p=0.017 and p=0.035, respectively). The proportion of intracerebral hemorrhage occurring within 7 days did not differ significantly between the two groups (p>0.05), and neither did the 90-day Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores nor the incidence of ischemic stroke.

CONCLUSIONS: Early administration of tirofiban in the treatment of mild to moderate ischemic stroke is safe, which can reduce 24-hour and 7-day NIHSS scores and has potential value.

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