BACKGROUND/AIMS
To evaluate the variations in platelet indices (PIs), including platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT), in cervical cancer (CC) and to evaluate the relationship between these PIs and pathological features of tumor (i.e., tumor stage and size, depth of stromal invasion, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), and histological type).
MATERIAL and METHODS
This retrospective, comparative study included 40 patients with CC who underwent complete clinical staging and 80 healthy controls at a tertiary center between 2007 and 2017. Groups were compared using independent sample t-tests and Mann–Whitney U tests. Variables with a p<0.05 were included in the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to determine cut-off values. The associations of PIs with pathological features were analyzed using the chi-square test.
RESULTS
The mean age of patients with CC was 56.9 years old. Demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gravidity, and parity) did not differ between the groups (p>0.05). Mean MPV and PCT were significantly lower (p=0.002 and p=0.026, respectively), and PDW was significantly higher (p=0.049) in the CC group than in the control group. The platelet count did not differ significantly between the groups (p=0.558). The optimal cut-off points of MPV, PDW, and PCT levels for discriminating between the groups were 10.45 fL, 13 fL, and 0.28%, respectively. Except a significant relationship between low PCT level and positive LVSI (p=0.01), there was no significant relationship between PIs and pathological features.
CONCLUSION
Low MPV and PDW and high PCT may be considered as a useful additional tool for preoperative diagnosis of CC. However, the usability of these markers for predicting pathological features is unsatisfactory.
Keywords: Mean platelet volume, platelet count, prognosis, uterine cervical neoplasms