ETHNIC-DIFFERENCES IN THROMBOCYTOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH CERVICAL-CANCER

The aim of this descriptive study is to show the prevalence of and eth nic differences in thrombocytosis in patients with invasive cervical c ancer and to establish its clinical relevance. Pre-treatment platelet counts of 254 white and 839 black patients with cervical cancer stages I-IV were correlated with ethnic group, stage of disease, and lymph n ode status. Thrombocytosis was defined as a platelet count of more tha n 400,000 per mm(3). Results showed that significantly more black pati ents than white patients with cervical cancer had thrombocytosis (P < 0.001). Race continued to be an independent variable of thrombocytosis in a logistic regression analysis (P = 0.0238). Thrombocytosis was as sociated with advanced stage of disease in a logistic regression analy sis (P = 0.0042), but failed to predict positive lymph nodes in stage IB disease. This study demonstrates an ethnic difference in thrombocyt osis in patients with cervical cancer and confirms a correlation betwe en thrombocytosis and stage of disease. The interpretation of these fi ndings may suggest that thrombocytosis could be a paraneoplastic pheno menon.