title: Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis in breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elevated platelet count at the time of diagnosis has been suggested to identify a subset of patients with cancer (e.g. ovarian and lung adenocarcinoma) and poor prognosis. The evidence on the incidence and prognostic significance of thrombocytosis in breast cancer is, however, incomplete.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective analysis of 127 consecutive patients with breast cancer at our Institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the 81 newly- diagnosed patients had an elevated platelet count (mean=252 × 10(6)/l). Out of the 31 patients with metastatic disease, one exhibited mild thrombocytosis (445 × 10(6)/l) but the mean value (239 × 10(6)/l) was similar to that seen in patients with localized disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that thrombocytosis in breast cancer is rare and thus, unlike in other types of cancer, and has limited (if any) value in clinical decision making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Monmouth Medical Center, 300 Second Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740, U.S.A. aszallasi@barnabashealth.org.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
authors.forename: Arpad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szallasi
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010976:Platelet Count; D011379:Prognosis; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Thrombocytosis; breast cancer; predictive value