Clinical Significance of Platelet Counts in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinomas

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Thrombocytosis is reported in patients with various tumors, including stomach, colon, ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancers. Some clinical reports have shown thrombocytosis to be a poor prognostic factor in cancer patients. However, in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, the incidence and clinical significance of thrombocytosis have not been clearly verified. In this study, the clinical significance of platelet counts was investigated in patients with hepatocellular carcinomas. METHODS: 212 patients with surgically proven hepatocellular carcinomas were enrolled in this study. The incidence, relationship with other clinicopathological factors, and the prognostic value of thrombocytosis were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of thrombocytosis (> or =400, 000/ul) was 2.8% (6/212). The platelet counts were elevated in patients with a large sized tumor (p< 0.001), advanced TNM stage (p=0.009) and gross tumor thrombi in the portal vein (p=0.009). There was no difference in the survival between patients with low and high platelet counts. CONCLUSION: The incidence of thrombocytosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients was very low. The platelet counts were elevated in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinomas, but no prognostic significance was shown in this study.