WHOLE-BLOOD CELL COUNTS AND LEUKOCYTE DIFFERENTIALS IN PATIENTS WITH BENIGN OR MALIGNANT OVARIAN-TUMORS

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine whether ovarian c ancer patients had haematological anomalies compared to patients with benign ovarian tumours. Study design: Whole blood cell counts and leuc ocyte differentials were measured in 70 patients suspected of having o varian tumours. Postoperatively, 20 patients had metastatic ovarian ca ncer and 50 patients had benign ovarian tumours. A control group consi sted of 39 healthy women. Cell counting was performed by the Sysmex NE -8000 system. The significance of differences was assessed by the Mann -Whitney U-test or the chi(2)-test, where appropriate. Results: The me dian haemoglobin and haematocrit levels were significantly lower (P-va lues 0.004 and 0.02, respectively) and the platelet count was higher ( P = 0.02) in the malignant group compared with the benign group. The l eucocyte differentials revealed significantly lower values for lymphoc ytes in the malignant group in comparison to the benign and control gr oups (P-values 0.02 and 0.00005, respectively). A significant increase in monocytes (P = 0.002) and decreases in eosinophils and basophils ( P-values 0.04 and 0.02, respectively) were found in the malignant grou p compared to the benign group. Conclusion. These results demonstrate significant changes in whole blood cell counts and leucocyte different ials in patients with ovarian cancer. The low lymphocyte counts in the malignant group possibly indicate a primary immunodeficiency as a cau sal factor. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.