title: The prognostic value of plasma fibrinogen levels in patients with endometrial cancer: a multi-centre trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To analyse the correlation between pre-treatment plasma fibrinogen levels and clinical-pathological parameters in patients with endometrial cancer and to assess the value of plasma fibrinogen as a prognostic parameter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within a retrospective multi-centre study, the records of 436 patients with endometrial cancer were reviewed and pre-treatment plasma fibrinogen levels were correlated with clinical-pathological parameters and patients' survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (s.d.) pre-treatment plasma fibrinogen level was 388.9 (102.4) mg per 100 ml. Higher plasma fibrinogen levels were associated with advanced tumour stage (FIGO I vs II vs III and IV, P=0.002), unfavourable histological subtype (endometrioid vs non-endometrioid histology, P=0.03), and higher patients' age (< or =67 years vs >67 years, P=0.04), but not with higher histological grade (G1 vs G2 vs G3, P=0.2). In a multivariate analysis, tumour stage (P<0.001 and P<0.001), histological grade (P=0.009 and P=0.002), patients' age (P=0.001 and P<0.001), and pre-treatment plasma fibrinogen levels (P=0.04 and P=0.02) were associated with disease-free and overall survival, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma fibrinogen levels can be used as an independent prognostic parameter for the disease-free and overall survival of patients with endometrial cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, Vienna, Austria. veronika.seebacher@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seebacher
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polterauer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Husslein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leipold
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hefler-Frischmuth
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tempfer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reinthaller
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hefler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen