title: D-dimer Level Changes During Systemic Chemotherapy Can Predict Prognosis of High-grade Musculoskeletal Sarcoma Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Plasma D-dimer levels have been known to be associated with tumor progression; we, therefore, investigated whether the D-dimer levels during preoperative systemic chemotherapy can be prognostic indicators in patients with high-grade musculoskeletal sarcoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated 28 cases of high-grade sarcomas, and evaluated the utility of D-dimer levels for preoperative evaluation of the effects of systemic chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the candidate parameters determined based on D-dimer levels at several time-points of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and several oncological outcomes, the plasma D-dimer level completion of the second course of chemotherapy and the ratio of plasma D-dimer levels at completion of preoperative chemotherapy to the level of plasma D-dimer on referral, could significantly predict patient prognosis (p=0.049 and p=0.02, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  D-dimer level changes could be a helpful marker for preoperative evaluation of the effect of systemic chemotherapy in terms of prognosis prediction in high-grade musculoskeletal sarcoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan t-morii@gb3.so-net.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morii
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D
keywords: D-dimer; chemotherapy; high-grade sarcoma