title: High platelet count associated with venous thromboembolism in cancer patients: results from the Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study (CATS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In cancer patients, laboratory parameters that predict venous thromboembolism (VTE) are scarce. Increased platelet count has been found to be a risk factor for VTE in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy (CHT). We have assessed high platelet count as a risk predictor for VTE in patients with cancer undergoing discriminative anti-cancer treatments and investigated whether platelet count correlates with thrombopoietin (TPO) levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Cancer and Thrombosis Study (CATS) is an ongoing prospective observational study of patients with newly diagnosed cancer or progression of disease, which started in October 2003. Occurrence of VTE and information on the patients' anti-cancer treatment during follow-up were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between October 2003 and February 2008, 665 patients with solid tumors were included (314 female/351 male, mean age 62 years). VTE occurred in 44 patients (18 female/26 male, mean age 62 years). The cumulative probability of VTE after 1 year was 34.3% in patients with a platelet count (PC) above the 95th percentile representing 443 x 10(9)/L compared with 5.9% in those below 443 x 10(9)/L. High platelet count [hazard ratio (HR): 3.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.52-8.06, P = 0.0032], soluble P-selectin [HR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.42-4.96, P = 0.0021] and surgery [HR: 4.05, 95% CI: 1.74-9.46, P = 0.0012] were statistically significant risk factors for VTE in multivariable analysis along with leucocyte count, age, gender, radio- and CHT. We found no correlation between platelet count and TPO levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High PC is a clinically important, independent risk predictor for VTE in cancer patients. PC was not found to be associated with TPO levels.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division of Haematology and Haemostaseology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simanek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vormittag
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ay
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alguel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dunkler
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schwarzinger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pabinger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D010976:Platelet Count; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019007:P-Selectin; D013926:Thrombopoietin