title: Prognostic value of plasma D-dimer levels in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Plasma D-dimer levels have been shown to be increased in patients with various solid tumours including lung, prostate, cervical, ovarian, breast and colon cancer. The purpose of this prospective study was to estimate the plasma D-dimer level of patients with colorectal cancer before surgery and to assess whether it has a prognostic value.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 51 patients with colorectal cancer. Variables including demographic, clinical, operative and pathological findings and routine laboratory tests were recorded. In addition, tumour markers, coagulation tests and plasma D-dimer levels were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological types other than well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, relatively advanced tumour stage and a high preoperative plasma D-dimer level were the prognostic factors that were associated with shorter postoperative survival according to univariate analyses. The presence of vascular invasion was associated with higher preoperative D-dimer levels. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between postoperative survival and the presence of vascular invasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative survival was significantly shorter in colorectal cancer patients with elevated preoperative D-dimer levels. Evaluation of preoperative D-dimer level can be used to predict postoperative survival.
authors.affiliation: V Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yoldas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keskek
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ertan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gocmen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D