Impact of Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Therapies on Platelet-related Prognostic Markers in Patients With Esophageal Cancer.

Ishibashi, Yusuke; Tsujimoto, Hironori; Kouzu, Keita; Itazaki, Yujiro; Tsuchiya, Satoshi; Fujishima, Seiichiro; Yaguchi, Yoshihisa; Sugasawa, Hidekazu; Nomura, Shinsuke; Ito, Nozomi; Harada, Manabu; Nagata, Hiromi; Shinto, Eiji; Kishi, Yoji; Ueno, Hideki

BACKGROUND/AIM In recent years, platelet-related markers were recognized as useful prognostic factors in various malignancies. We investigated the relationship between platelet-related prognostic markers and anti-platelet or anti-coagulant therapies for survival outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Preoperative platelet-related prognostic markers were evaluated from peripheral blood testing and statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of these markers and reveal the effects of antiplatelets and/or anticoagulants regarding their prognostic relevance. RESULTS In all 176 patients, preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was not found to be a predictor of overall survival (OS). However, in patients without antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapies, PLR was significantly associated with a poor OS (p=0.03). Although platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR) was not associated with the prognosis in patients with antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapies, higher P-LCR was associated with a poor prognosis in patients without antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapies (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION Researching detailed antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies could reinforce the prognostic value of platelet-related prognostic markers in ESCC.