title: Significance of preoperative thrombocytosis in epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reactive thrombocytosis is reported in a variety of solid tumors. A few studies have documented preoperative thrombocytosis in ovarian cancer and identified it as a marker of aggressive tumor biology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the incidence of preoperative thrombocytosis (platelets greater than 400x10) in epithelial ovarian cancer and its association with other clinicopathologic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five patients with invasive ovarian epithelial cancer were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for the association preoperative thrombocytosis with other clinical and histopathological prognostic factors. Means were analyzed by Student's t test; proportions were determined by Chi-square analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty of 65 (37.5%) patients had thrombocytosis at primary diagnosis. Patients with preoperative thrombocytosis were found to have lower hemoglobin (P < 0.0002), more advanced stage disease (P < 0.05) and higher grade tumors (P < 0.02). Patients with thrombocytosis had greater likelihood of subpotimal cytoreduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative thrombocytosis is a frequent finding in ovarian carcinomas and their association with advanced stage disease and higher grade denotes that platelets play a role in the tumor growth and progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, St. John's Medical College and Hospital, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore 560 034, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Julian A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Crasta
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Premlatha
authors.forename: Suniti M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vallikad
authors.forename: Karuna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rameshkumar
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013922:Thrombocytosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor