title: Platelet count and preoperative haemoglobin do not significantly increase the performance of established predictors of renal cell carcinoma-specific mortality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anaemia and/or thrombocytosis were identified as independent predictors of poor survival in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We tested the extent to which these markers worsen the prognosis in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses targeted 1828 patients with renal cell carcinoma. Univariable, multivariable, and predictive accuracy analyses addressed RCC-specific mortality (RCC-SM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In univariable and multivariable analyses, both platelet count and preoperative haemoglobin level were statistically significant predictors of RCC-SM. However, neither platelet count nor preoperative haemoglobin level increased the combined multivariable accuracy of established RCC-SM (predictive accuracy gain=0.3%) predictors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who present with severe anaemia or elevated platelets are at no higher risk of RCC-SM than that related to their stage, grade, histologic subtype, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prognostics and Health Outcome Unit, University of Montreal Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. pierre.karakiewicz@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Pierre I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Karakiewicz
authors.forename: Quoc-Dien
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tostain
authors.forename: Allan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pantuck
authors.forename: Arie S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Belldegrun
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Patard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010976:Platelet Count; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins