Research report: Patient characteristics and the safety of stent placement for malignant vena cava syndrome in Japan: a nationwide analysis

A nationwide retrospective cohort study of 301 patients found that adverse events were identified in 32 patients, or 10.6%, after stent placement for malignant superior or inferior vena cava syndrome. None of the recorded events required invasive treatment, including embolization. The analysis used Japan’s Diagnosis Procedure Combination nationwide inpatient database and covered stent placements performed in 137 hospitals between April 2019 and March 2023.

Of the 301 patients, 187 underwent stenting for superior vena cava syndrome and 114 for inferior vena cava syndrome. The investigators identified 34 adverse events in total, using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Red blood cell transfusion was required in 10 patients, representing 3.3% of the cohort.

The study did not report the frequency of every individual adverse event or identify transfusion as the most common event, so the available results support the reported counts without establishing a ranking among complications. The analysis also examined short-term mortality and differences between the two anatomical groups. Seven-day mortality after stent placement was 5.0%, while 30-day in-hospital mortality measured from hospital admission was 11.6%.

Respiratory failure was reported more frequently in the superior vena cava group. Other adverse events and the mortality measures were comparable between the superior and inferior vena cava groups, according to the study. Because the research was observational, these figures describe outcomes in the treated population and do not establish that stenting caused the deaths or other recorded complications.

Underlying malignancies and treatment patterns differed between the groups. Lung tumors predominated in superior vena cava cases, whereas liver tumors predominated in inferior vena cava cases. Multiple stents were used more frequently in patients treated for inferior vena cava syndrome.

The researchers also evaluated therapeutic interventions received by patients. These findings are descriptive characteristics of the hospital population rather than evidence that a particular cancer type or stent configuration determined the likelihood of an adverse event or death. Overall, the results indicate an observed 10.6% incidence of coded adverse events after malignant vena cava stenting, with no serious adverse event requiring invasive intervention in this cohort.

Subject of Research: Safety of stent placement for malignant superior and inferior vena cava syndrome in a nationwide Japanese inpatient cohort

Article Title: Patient characteristics and the safety of stent placement for malignant vena cava syndrome in Japan: a nationwide analysis

Article References: Ozawa, M., Nakama, R., Inoue, N., Miyamoto, Y., Sone, M., & Fushimi, K. (2026). Patient characteristics and the safety of stent placement for malignant vena cava syndrome in Japan: a nationwide analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer, 34(11), Article 1129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-026-11400-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s00520-026-11400-8

Keywords: vena cava syndrome, venous stenting, malignant obstruction, adverse events, stent safety, cancer care, retrospective cohort, Japan, inpatient database, patient outcomes, Patient, characteristics