Tumor anemia and thrombocytosis in patients with vulvar cancer

The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of tumor anemia and th rombocytosis in patients with vulvar cancer, and to evaluate the prognostic value or pretreatment hemoglobin (Hb) and platelet count regarding disease -free and overall survival of patients with vulvar cancer. We measured pret reatment Hb and platelet count in 62 patients with squamous cell vulvar can cer. The results were correlated to clinical data. Median Hb and platelet c ount in patients with vulvar cancer were 13.1 g/dl (range 8.3-16.2) and 268 ,500/mu l (range 88,000-778,000), respectively. Cut-off levels of 12 g/dl a nd 300,000/mu l were selected for tumor anemia and tumor thrombocytosis, re spectively according to published criteria. Tumor anemia and tumor thromboc ytosis were present in 30.6 and 27.4% of patients with vulvar cancer, respe ctively. In a univariate analysis tumor stage and tumor thrombocytosis were significantly associated with a shortened disease-free (log-rank test, p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively) and overall survival (log-rank test, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Tumor anemia was not associated with a shortened disease-free, but with a shortened overall survival of patients with vulvar cancer (log-rank test, p = 0.1 and p = 0.002, respectively). A multivariate Cox regression model considering tumor stage, tumor anemia, a nd tumor thrombocytosis showed, however, that pretreatment Hb and platelet count did not confer additional prognostic information to that already obta ined by the established prognosticator tumor stage on disease free (multiva riate Cox regression model, p = 0.8, p = 0.2, and p = 0.003, respectively) and overall survival (multivariate Cox regression model, p = 0.4, p = 0.5, and p = 0.04, respectively). Pretreatment tumor anemia and tumor thrombocyt osis were associated with a poor prognosis, but were not an independent pre dictor of outcome in patients with vulvar cancer. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Kar ger AG, Basel.