EVALUATION OF THE COAGULATION FIBRINOLYSIS BALANCE IN PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL-CANCER

The coagulation and fibrinolysis profile was evaluated in 40 patiens w ith newly diagnosed untreated colorectal carcinoma (24 males, 16 femal es; 29 patients without and 11 patients with metastases). Fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor antigen, FVIII:C, thrombin-antithrombin III comp lex (TAT III), fibrin monomers (FM), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and D-dimers were tested. None of the patients had clinical o r laboratory evidence of serious hemorrhage or thrombosis. The results of global routine coagulation tests (aPTT, PT) were not significantly changed. Significant elevations were found for median fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor antigen, FVIII:C, TAT III and D-dimers, compared wi th a healthy reference group. These results confirm earlier reports of an enhanced level of both coagulation and fibrinolysis markers in car cinoma patients and might be helpful in trying to understand the impac t of several relatively new sensitive coagulation and fibrinolysis par ameters in colorectal cancer. Moreover the position of the coagulation /fibrinolysis balance might be an explanation for the elevated inciden ce of thrombotic events in patiens with cancer.