Preoperative thrombocytosis as a prognostic factor in endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The impact of preoperative thrombocytosis as a prognostic factor in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains uncertain and has never been examined in Saudi Arabia. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of preoperative thrombocytosis (platelet count >400 000/mu L), and its prognostic significance for clinicopathological factors and survival in Saudi patients with endometrioid-type EC. DESIGN: A retrospective cross-sectional study from January 2010 to December 2013. SETTING: A referral tertiary healthcare institute. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent staging surgery for primary endometrioid-type EC were retrospectively analyzed for perioperative details: age, preoperative platelet count, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, endometrioid grade, recurrence, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier estimates and a Cox proportional hazards model. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of preoperative thrombocytosis, DFS and OS. RESULTS: In 162 patients who met inclusion criteria, the frequency of preoperative thrombocytosis was 8.6% (n=14). Patients with advanced FIGO disease (stages III-IV) and recurrence had significantly higher mean preoperative platelet counts than patients with early FIGO disease (stages I-II) and no recurrence (P=.0080 and P=.0063, respectively). Patients with thrombocytosis had statistically significant higher rates of advanced FIGO stages III-IV disease, unfavorable grades II-III endometrioid histology and recurrence than patients with preoperative platelet counts <= 400 000/mu L (P<.001, P<.0105 and P<.001, respectively). In a univariate analysis, patients with preoperative thrombocytosis had statistically lower mean DFS and OS rates than patients without thrombocytosis (P<.0001 and P<.0001, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, thrombocytosis was not an independent prognostic factor of DFS and OS. CONCLUSION: The frequency of preoperative thrombocytosis is not uncommon. Also, preoperative thrombocytosis is associated with poor clinicopathological prognostic factors, and poor survival outcomes in a univariate but not multivariate analysis. LIMITATION: The retrospective study design, sample size and lack of exploration of other clinicopathological factors.