Pancreatic Carcinoma, Thrombosis and Mean Platelet Volume: Single Center Experience from the Southeast Region of Turkey

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> The aim of this study was to investigate the general characteristics of patients with deep veinthrombosis (DVT) and pancreatic cancer as well as evaluate the relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV),DVT and survival. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Seventy-seven patients with pancreatic cancer, who were admittedto Cukurova University Medical Faculty, Department of Medical Oncology, were enrolled in the study <br/><b>Results</b>:The mean age was 59±20. Forty-nine (63.6%) were men and 28 women (36.4%) . Sixty-eight (88.3%) patientshad adenocarcinoma and 9 (11.7%) had a malignant epithelial tumor. Thirty-six (46.7%) had liver metastasis atdiagnosis. Twenty-six (33.8%) patients were alive, 20 (26%) were dead and in 31 (40.2%) the status was unknown.Only 14 (18.1%) patients had DVT. In 42 (54.5%) patients MPV values were normal, in 28 (36.4%) patientsthey were above normal, and in 7 (9.1%) patients they were below normal. There was no statistically significantdifference between gender, tumour localization, chemotherapy and survival rates (p:0.56, p:0.11, p:0.21). Therewas no significant difference between DVT, gender, localisation, histological subtype, the presence of metastasis,stage and if the patient had been treated with chemotherapy (p:0.5, p:0.6, p:0.2, p:0.32, p:0.1, p:0.84). Therewas also no significant difference between MPV and DVT (p:0.57) but there was a significant difference betweenliver metastasis and DVT (p:0.02). Age, stage, the presence of metastasis and DVT were prognostic in pancreaticcancer patients. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Cases of pancreatic cancer with liver metastasis should be studied more carefullyas thrombosis is more common in these patients.