Preoperative platelet count in pancreas cancer: a prognostic factor?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether preoperative platelet count influenced the prognosis for surgical treatment of pancreas cancer.


METHODS
Retrospective study of 144 patients operated on for pancreatic cancer: 49 with adenocarcinoma, operable with curative intent (group A), 86 in whom palliative resection or bypass was done (group B), and 9 in whom exploratory laparotomy was done. Preoperative platelet count was done for all patients. Groups A and B were divided into 2 subgroups (> 200,000 platelets/mm3 and < 200,000 platelets/mm3), and an additional subgroup was established for patients with > 300,000 platelets/mm3. Survival was analyzed in the resulting subgroups.


RESULTS
Among patients who underwent curative resection, statistical analysis revealed significantly better survival (p < 0.05) in patients with a platelet count > 200,000 platelets/mm3 and a very significant difference (p < 0.01) in the 300,000 platelets/mm3 subgroup. No differences were found in the subgroups of patients who underwent palliative surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative platelet count may represent a prognostic factor in patients with pancreatic cancer operated on with curative intent. Our findings justify the need for clinical trials of antiangiogenic therapy.
Echenique Elizondo
M
M
Department of Surgery, University of the Basque Country, San Sebastián, Spain. gepecelm@sc.ehu.es
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D010976:Platelet Count; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis