Significance of thrombocytosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Our objective was to determine the relevance of a preoperative platelet count in ovarian cancer. Special interest was directed to a possible prognostic significance of thrombocytosis in this disease. Charts of 130 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were reviewed retrospectively. Survival analyses were performed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in survival were examined according to Mantel and Breslow. Platelet counts were furthermore correlated to other clinical parameters. For this purpose the Spearman rank test and a stepwise logistic regression model were used. Data comparison was accomplished with the Mann-Whitney U test and the chi 2 test. Prevalence of thrombocytosis was 38%. No differences in survival between patients with or without thrombocytosis was found. Volume of ascites and hemoglobin concentrations were independently associated with thrombocytosis (p = 0.002 and p = 0.004, respectively). Thrombocytosis is not a useful prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. Elevated platelets are predominantly associated with the presence of ascites and marked anemia.