PLATELET COUNT AND SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL-CANCER - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

In a previous report we found an inverse correlation between pre-opera tive platelet count (PIC) levels and the risk of post-operative pulmon ary embolism in patients undergoing hip surgery. In the present study, we prospectively evaluated the prognostic significance of pre-operati ve PIC levels on survival in 180 consecutive patients undergoing surge ry for colorectal cancer. Other major clinicopathological parameters s tudied were age gender, Dukes' stage, duration of surgery, pre-operati ve haemoglobin levels and transfusion requirements. There were no sign ificant differences in mean pre-operative PlC levels according to tumo r stage, Thirty-three patients (18%) died during follow-up (3-21 month s, median: 13 months). Univariate analysis (Kaplan-Meier estimates) sh owed that advanced tumor stage ip <0.001), duration of surgery (p <0.0 5) and a high pre-operative PIC level ip <0.0011 were significantly as sociated to a poor survival. The multivariate Cox analysis revealed th at tumor stage (RR:5.734: 95%C.I.: 2.644-12.44), a high pre-operative PIC level (RR: 2.467; 95%C.I.: 1.117-5.452), and to a lesser extent th e patients' age remained independent prognostic variables for mortalit y. The findings of this preliminary study map be of interest from the point of view of pathogenesis, but also clinically, since they might b e used in the decision as to which patients or groups of patients shou ld receive more aggressive therapeutic intervention.