Preoperative thrombocytosis is an independent prognostic factor in stage III and IV endometrial cancer

Background: To identify prognostic factors in stage III and IV endometrial cancer with special attention to pretreatment platelet count. Materials and Methods: 59 patients with FIGO stage III or IV disease operated on between 1983 and 1993 were analyzed. Patients with preoperative thrombocytosis wer e compared with those without thrombocytosis. Prognostic factors were analy zed with a Cox proportional hazard model. Results: With the exception of ag e, there were no significant differences between patients with or without t hrombocytosis. At multivariate analysis, five-year disease-free survival wa s influenced significantly by FIGO stage (stage III vs stage IV; p=0.009), thrombocytosis (p=0.02) and cervical involvement (p=0.024). Similarly, over all five-year survival was significantly influenced by stage (p<0.001), cer vical involvement (p=0.005) and thrombocytosis (p=0.01). Age, histology, gr ade, myometrial invasion, lymph-vascular space involvement or spread to adn exae were not significantly associated with survival. Conclusion: Thrombocy tosis is an independent prognostic factor in stage III and IV endometrial c ancer.