title: Significance of thrombocytosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to determine the relevance of a preoperative platelet count in ovarian cancer. Special interest was directed to a possible prognostic significance of thrombocytosis in this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Charts of 130 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were reviewed retrospectively. Survival analyses were performed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in survival were examined according to Mantel and Breslow. Platelet counts were furthermore correlated to other clinical parameters. For this purpose the Spearman rank test and a stepwise logistic regression model were used. Data comparison was accomplished with the Mann-Whitney U test and the chi 2 test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of thrombocytosis was 38%. No differences in survival between patients with or without thrombocytosis was found. Volume of ascites and hemoglobin concentrations were independently associated with thrombocytosis (p = 0.002 and p = 0.004, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thrombocytosis is not a useful prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. Elevated platelets are predominantly associated with the presence of ascites and marked anemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Innsbruck University Hospital, Austria.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Zeimet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marth
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Müller-Holzner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daxenbichler
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dapunt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D010976:Platelet Count; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000209:etiology*