Preoperative thrombocytosis predicts prognosis in stage II colorectal cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
Thrombocytosis is known to be a poor prognostic factor in several types of solid tumors. The prognostic role of preoperative thrombocytosis in colorectal cancer remains limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic role of preoperative thrombocytosis in stage II colorectal cancer.


METHODS
Two hundred eighty-four patients with stage II colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection between December 2003 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Thrombocytosis was defined as platelet > 450 × 10(9)/L. We compared patients with thrombocytosis and those without thrombocytosis in terms of survival.


RESULTS
The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were lower in patients with thrombocytosis compared to those without thrombocytosis in stage II colorectal cancer (73.3% vs. 89.6%, P = 0.021). Cox multivariate analysis demonstrated that thrombocytosis (hazard ratio, 2.945; 95% confidence interval, 1.127-7.697; P = 0.028) was independently associated with DFS in patients with stage II colorectal cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that thrombocytosis is a prognostic factor predicting DFS in stage II colorectal cancer patients.
Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
Yong Sun
YS
Lee
Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
Kwang Wook
KW
Suh
Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
Seung Yeop
SY
Oh
Colorectal neoplasms; Prognosis; Thrombocytosis