A combination of platelet features allows detection of early-stage cancer

TLDR: Multiple platelet features, including platelet count, volume and protein content, were significantly changed in lung and head of pancreas cancer patients, and a cancer type-specific combination of these platelets features can be used to discriminate between patients with early-stage cancer and healthy individuals.

About: This article is published in European Journal of Cancer.The article was published on 2017-07-01 and is currently open access. It has received 42 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Cancer & Beta-thromboglobulin.

Figures

Fig. 2. A combination of platelet features allows discrimination betwee of a final set of six parameters (platelet count, MPV, PF4 and CTAP trations in PFP). (A) Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves o and after addition of smoking as a variable (hatched line). (B) Boxplot o platelet parameters of lung cancer patients and controls. PF4, platelet f thrombospondin-1; MPV, mean platelet volume; PFP, platelet-free pl

Fig. 3. Head of pancreas cancer (HoPC) is associated with changes in platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), increased platelet VEGF content and platelet activation. Platelet characteristics were measured in healthy controls (C, n Z 42) and in patients with HoPC (subdivided according to TNM-stage: IeII, n Z 29 and IIIeIV, n Z 13). (AeB) Whole blood platelet count and MPV were measured after blood collection. Platelets and platelet-free plasma (PFP) were isolated from whole blood and concentrations of VEGF, PDGF, CTAPIII, PF4 and TSP-1 were determined. Only significantly changed parameters are shown: VEGF concentration in platelets (C), and PDGF, PF4, CTAPIII and TSP-1 concentrations in PFP (DeG). Data are presented as means with standard errors of the means. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. TNM, tumour-node-metastasis; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; PF4, platelet factor 4; CTAPIII, connective tissueeactivating peptide III; TSP-1, thrombospondin-1; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.

Fig. 4. A combination of platelet parameters allows discrimination between patients with head of pancreas cancer and controls. The prediction model consists of a final set of three parameters (platelet count, MPV and VEGF concentration in platelets). (A) Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the diagnostic model. (B) Boxplot of the predicted probability using the diagnostic model based on a combination of platelet parameters of patients with head of pancreas cancer and controls. VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; MPV, mean platelet volume.

Table 1 Patient demographics and clinical profiles.

Fig. 1. Lung cancer is associated with changes in platelet count, mea Platelet characteristics were measured in healthy controls (C, n Z 86) a TNM-stage (IeII, n Z 39; IIIeIV, n Z 47). (AeB) Whole blood plat Platelets and platelet-free plasma (PFP) were isolated from whole blo were determined in platelets (CeG) and PFP (HeL). Data are pre **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. TNM, tumour-node-metastasis; PDGF, connective tissueeactivating peptide III; TSP-1, thrombospondin-1; V

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What are the contributions in "A combination of platelet features allows detection of early-stage cancer" ?

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Q2. What future works have the authors mentioned in the paper "A combination of platelet features allows detection of early-stage cancer" ?

Future research is needed to further investigate the clinical relevance of their findings. Platelets are a new and uncharted source of information, which need to be further explored in blood-based biomarker research.