High plasma levels of extrinsic pathway inhibitor and low levels of other coagulation inhibitors in advanced cancer.

Serial determinations of plasma coagulation inhibitor levels were performed with chromogenic substrate activity assays in 7 patients with cancer. At time of diagnosis normal median activities of Antithrombin, Protein C, Heparin Cofactor II and Extrinsic Pathway Inhibitor were found. The inhibitor activities changed significantly with the progress of malignant disease; Antithrombin, Protein C and Heparin Cofactor II decreased whereas Extrinsic Pathway Inhibitor increased. Determinations in 13 additional patients in the terminal phase of cancer confirmed this finding. The inhibitor activities were expressed in per cent of a pooled reference plasma. In the total series of 20 patients studied, median activity of Extrinsic Pathway Inhibitor was 183% (range 61-378%) and significantly (p less than 0.005) above age-adjusted normal reference 10 days (range 1-20 days) prior to death. Median activities of Antithrombin was 59% (range 20-109%), of Protein C 54% (range 24-130%) and Heparin Cofactor II 59% (range 33-110%), all significantly below age adjusted normal reference (p less than 0.001). The coagulation inhibitor levels seem related to the stage of disease in patients with cancer.