title: Thrombocytosis and Raised CRP Levels Predicts Advanced Stage in Esophageal Carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The significance of thrombocytosis and raised C-reactive protein (CRP) as prognostic markers in esophageal cancer is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied 50 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer and analyzed the relation of preoperative platelet count and CRP levels with the clinico-pathological characteristics and stage of the disease. The platelet count of 319 × 10(9)/L for thrombocytosis and CRP level >6 mg/dl were taken as cut-off values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of thrombocytosis as well as raised CRP level was 50 %. Eighty percent of patients with thrombocytosis had raised CRP levels. None of patients with early disease (stage I) had thrombocytosis while patients with advanced stage were associated with thrombocytosis, 81.81 % in stage III and 100 % in stage IV (p < 0.001). The incidence of elevated CRP levels has shown progressive linear co-relation with the stage of carcinoma, i.e., 0 % in pathological stage I, 16.67 % in stage II, 45.45 % in stage III, and 100 % in stage IV disease (p = 0.011). Patients with thrombocytosis and patients with raised CRP were associated with pathological nodal metastases in 84.61 % cases (p 0.005) and 61.53 % (p 0.030), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thrombocytosis alone or in combination with raised CRP had progressive linear relation with the stage of esophageal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Gastroenterology Division, Department of General Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh, 160012, India. grverma@gmail.com.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: Surgical Gastroenterology Division, Department of General Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thiagarajan
authors.affiliation: Surgical Gastroenterology Division, Department of General Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Surgical Gastroenterology Division, Department of General Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Lileshwar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Reena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kochhar
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010976:Platelet Count; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: C-reactive protein; Esophageal carcinoma; Esophagectomy; Tumor marker