Cancer incidence in patients with a high normal platelet count: a cohort study using primary care data

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 671-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Ankus ◽  
Sarah J Price ◽  
Obioha C Ukoumunne ◽  
William Hamilton ◽  
Sarah E R Bailey
2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (698) ◽  
pp. e622-e628
Author(s):  
Luke TA Mounce ◽  
Willie Hamilton ◽  
Sarah ER Bailey

BackgroundA raised platelet count (thrombocytosis) measuring >400 × 109/l is associated with high cancer incidence. It is uncertain whether platelet counts at the upper end of the normal range (high-normal: 326–400 × 109/l) are also associated with cancer.AimTo investigate cancer incidence following a normal platelet count in primary care.Design and settingA prospective cohort study was undertaken using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, dating from 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2014.MethodOne-year cancer incidence was estimated for 295 312 patients with normal platelet counts (150–400 × 109/l). Patients with platelet counts >325 × 109/l were oversampled to maximise precision of estimates of cancer incidence. All patients were aged ≥40 years with no prior cancer diagnoses. The effects of age, sex, and smoking were explored. Non-melanoma skin cancers were omitted from exclusions and incidence.ResultsOne-year cancer incidence increased greatly with age, male sex, and higher platelet count. Males aged ≥60 years with a high-normal count had an incidence of 4.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.0 to 4.4). The highest incidence of 6.7% (95% CI = 5.3 to 8.4) was found in males aged ≥80 years, who had platelets in the range of 376–400 × 109/l; this was 3.1 percentage points higher than the incidence for patients in the same age group with lower-normal counts of 150–325 × 109/l. Risks for all female subgroups were <3%. Patients with high-normal platelet counts were most at risk of lung and colorectal cancers and, in general, had advanced-stage cancer at diagnosis.ConclusionPlatelet counts at the high-normal range in males aged ≥60 years may be indicative of an underlying malignancy, and referral for further investigation should be considered.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (701) ◽  
pp. e852-e857
Author(s):  
Cansu Clarke ◽  
Willie Hamilton ◽  
Sarah Price ◽  
Sarah ER Bailey

BackgroundThrombocytosis is an excess of platelets, which is diagnosed as a platelet count >400 × 109/l. An association of thrombocytosis with undiagnosed cancer has recently been established, but the association with non-malignant disease has not been studied in primary care.AimTo examine, in English primary care, the 1-year incidence of non-malignant diseases in patients with new thrombocytosis and the incidence of pre-existing non-malignant diseases in patients who develop new thrombocytosis.Design and settingProspective cohort study using English Clinical Practice Research Datalink data from 2000 to 2013.MethodNewly incident and pre-existing rates of non-malignant diseases associated with thrombocytosis were compared between patients with thrombocytosis and age- and sex-matched patients with a normal platelet count. Fifteen candidate non-malignant diseases were identified from literature searches.ResultsIn the thrombocytosis cohort of 39 850 patients, 4579 (11.5%) were newly diagnosed with any one of the candidate diseases, compared with 443 out of 9684 patients (4.6%) in the normal platelet count cohort (relative risk [RR] 2.5, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 2.3 to 2.8); iron-deficiency anaemia was the most common new diagnosis (4.5% of patients with thrombocytosis, RR 4.9, 95% CI = 4.0 to 6.1). A total of 22 612 (57.0%) patients with thrombocytosis had a pre-existing non-malignant diagnosis compared with 4846 patients (50%) in the normal platelet count cohort (odds ratio 1.3, 95% CI = 1.2 to 1.4). There was no statistically significant difference in cancer diagnoses between patients with and without pre-existing disease in the thrombocytosis cohort.ConclusionThrombocytosis is associated with several non-malignant diseases. Clinicians can use these findings as part of their holistic diagnostic approach to help guide further investigations and management of patients with thrombocytosis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (659) ◽  
pp. e405-e413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah ER Bailey ◽  
Obioha C Ukoumunne ◽  
Elizabeth A Shephard ◽  
Willie Hamilton

BackgroundThrombocytosis (raised platelet count) is an emerging risk marker of cancer, but the association has not been fully explored in a primary care context.AimTo examine the incidence of cancer in a cohort of patients with thrombocytosis, to determine how clinically useful this risk marker could be in predicting an underlying malignancy.Design and settingA prospective cohort study using Clinical Practice Research Datalink data from 2000 to 2013.MethodThe 1-year incidence of cancer was compared between two cohorts: 40 000 patients aged ≥40 years with a platelet count of >400 × 109/L (thrombocytosis) and 10 000 matched patients with a normal platelet count. Sub-analyses examined the risk with change in platelet count, sex, age, and different cancer sites.ResultsA total of 1098 out of 9435 males with thrombocytosis were diagnosed with cancer (11.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 11.0 to 12.3), compared with 106 of 2599 males without thrombocytosis (4.1%; 95% CI = 3.4 to 4.9). A total of 1355 out of 21 826 females with thrombocytosis developed cancer (6.2%; 95% CI = 5.9 to 6.5), compared with 119 of 5370 females without (2.2%; 95% CI = 1.8 to 2.6). The risk of cancer increased to 18.1% (95% CI = 15.9 to 20.5) for males and 10.1% (95% CI = 9.0 to 11.3) for females, when a second raised platelet count was recorded within 6 months. Lung and colorectal cancer were more commonly diagnosed with thrombocytosis. One-third of patients with thrombocytosis and lung or colorectal cancer had no other symptoms indicative of malignancy.ConclusionThrombocytosis is a risk marker of cancer in adults; 11.6% and 6.2% cancer incidence in males and females, respectively, is worthy of further investigation for underlying malignancy. These figures well exceed the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-mandated risk threshold of 3% risk to warrant referral for suspected cancer.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e053624
Author(s):  
Daniel Smith ◽  
Kathryn Willan ◽  
Stephanie L Prady ◽  
Josie Dickerson ◽  
Gillian Santorelli ◽  
...  

ObjectivesWe aimed to examine agreement between common mental disorders (CMDs) from primary care records and repeated CMD questionnaire data from ALSPAC (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) over adolescence and young adulthood, explore factors affecting CMD identification in primary care records, and construct models predicting ALSPAC-derived CMDs using only primary care data.Design and settingProspective cohort study (ALSPAC) in Southwest England with linkage to electronic primary care records.ParticipantsPrimary care records were extracted for 11 807 participants (80% of 14 731 eligible). Between 31% (3633; age 15/16) and 11% (1298; age 21/22) of participants had both primary care and ALSPAC CMD data.Outcome measuresALSPAC outcome measures were diagnoses of suspected depression and/or CMDs. Primary care outcome measure were Read codes for diagnosis, symptoms and treatment of depression/CMDs. For each time point, sensitivities and specificities for primary care CMD diagnoses were calculated for predicting ALSPAC-derived measures of CMDs, and the factors associated with identification of primary care-based CMDs in those with suspected ALSPAC-derived CMDs explored. Lasso (least absolute selection and shrinkage operator) models were used at each time point to predict ALSPAC-derived CMDs using only primary care data, with internal validation by randomly splitting data into 60% training and 40% validation samples.ResultsSensitivities for primary care diagnoses were low for CMDs (range: 3.5%–19.1%) and depression (range: 1.6%–34.0%), while specificities were high (nearly all >95%). The strongest predictors of identification in the primary care data for those with ALSPAC-derived CMDs were symptom severity indices. The lasso models had relatively low prediction rates, especially in the validation sample (deviance ratio range: −1.3 to 12.6%), but improved with age.ConclusionsPrimary care data underestimate CMDs compared to population-based studies. Improving general practitioner identification, and using free-text or secondary care data, is needed to improve the accuracy of models using clinical data.


Blood ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Kuter ◽  
RD Rosenberg

Abstract The relationship between the bone marrow (BM) megakaryocyte and the circulating platelet was explored. Incremental changes in platelet count were made in rats by infusion of antiplatelet antibody or by platelet transfusion, and the response of megakaryocytes was measured by flow cytometry. Proportional changes in megakaryocyte ploidy were demonstrated: As the platelet count declined, ploidy increased; as the platelet count increased, ploidy decreased. Even moderate degrees of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis (48% and 177% of the normal platelet count) were associated with changes in ploidy. These changes were not the results of the technique used to alter the platelet count because reinfusion of platelets after 3 hours of thrombocytopenia prevented any ploidy change. These studies proved that the circulating platelet and the megakaryocyte constitute a classic feedback loop whose activity can be measured by the degree of ploidization of the megakaryocyte. The minimal duration of thrombocytopenia necessary to promote megakaryocyte ploidy changes was approximately 10 hours. Using a BM culture assay, we identified a plasma factor which induced alterations in megakaryocyte ploidy and whose level is inversely proportional to the platelet count.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (696) ◽  
pp. e457-e462
Author(s):  
Rhian Hopkins ◽  
Sarah ER Bailey ◽  
William T Hamilton ◽  
Elizabeth A Shephard

BackgroundMicrocytosis (smaller than normal red blood cells) has previously been identified as a possible early risk marker for some cancers. However, the role of microcytosis across all cancers has not been fully investigated.AimTo examine cancer incidence in a cohort of patients with microcytosis, with and without accompanying anaemia.Design and settingCohort study of patients aged ≥40 years using UK primary care electronic patient records.MethodThe 1-year cancer incidence was compared between cohorts of patients with a mean red cell volume of <85 femtolitres (fL) (low) or 85–101 fL (normal). Further analyses examined sex, age group, cancer site, and haemoglobin values.ResultsOf 12 289 patients with microcytosis, 497 had a new cancer diagnosis within 1 year (4.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.7 to 4.4), compared with 1465 of 73 150 without microcytosis (2.0%, CI = 1.9 to 2.1). In males, 298 out of 4800 with microcytosis were diagnosed with cancer (6.2%, CI = 5.5 to 6.9), compared with 940 out of 34 653 without (2.7%, CI = 2.5 to 2.9). In females with microcytosis, 199 out of 7489 were diagnosed with cancer (2.7%, CI = 2.3 to 3.1), compared with 525 out of 38 497 without (1.4%, CI = 1.3 to 1.5). In patients with microcytosis but normal haemoglobin, 86 out of 2637 males (3.3%, CI = 2.6 to 4.0) and 101 out of 5055 females (2.0%, CI = 1.6 to 2.4) were diagnosed with cancer.ConclusionMicrocytosis is a predictor of underlying cancer even if haemoglobin is normal. Although a benign explanation is more likely, clinicians in primary care should consider simple testing for cancer on encountering unexplained microcytosis, particularly in males.


Blood ◽  
1961 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
SIDNEY L. SALTZSTEIN

Abstract Accumulation of a lipid, histochemically a phospholipid, in the histiocytes of the splenic pulp was observed in seven patients with thrombocytopenic purpura. Six had classical idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura with abundant megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. Splenectomy resulted in clinical and hematologic remissions in four of these six, continued thrombocytopenia in the fifth, and in the continued requirement of corticosteroid to maintain a reasonably normal platelet count in the sixth. The seventh patient, who died shortly after splenectomy, had marked hypoplasia of megakaryocytes. Similar lipid accumulation was not seen in more than 700 other spleens, removed for a variety of reasons, reviewed in this study. Platelet phagocytosis has been suggested as a source of the lipid.


1997 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 411-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
LE Smedile ◽  
DM Houston ◽  
SM Taylor ◽  
K Post ◽  
GP Searcy

The medical records of 11 Cavalier King Charles spaniels with idiopathic, asymptomatic thrombocytopenia and large-to-giant platelets were identified from a 10-year retrospective search using the Veterinary Medical Data Base at Purdue University. Eight of the dogs had been treated with various immunosuppressive drugs. Six of the treated dogs remained thrombocytopenic, one was not reevaluated, and one developed a normal platelet count. The underlying etiology of idiopathic, asymptomatic thrombocytopenia in Cavalier King Charles spaniels has not been identified, but this condition could represent a congenital macrothrombocytopenic disorder.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 2895-2895
Author(s):  
Gail A. Rock ◽  
David Anderson ◽  
Barrett Benny ◽  
David Barth ◽  
William Clark ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction The ultimate therapy for TTP is not yet defined. While approximately 85% of patients respond to plasma exchange with FFP, the use of alternative solutions such as cryosupernatant plasma, which is deficient in the high molecular weight forms of vWF. has not been proven by appropriate randomized prospective sample trials. However, it is intellectually appealing. Additionally, the use of the ADAMTS 13 level either to predict disease or outcome has not been resolved. Methods Cryosupernatant plasma (CSP) was compared to solvent detergent treated plasma (SDP) over one cycle (nine days) of plasma exchange (PE) and subsequent procedures as required. Throughout treatment, ADAMTS 13 and protein S levels were followed. Results At the primary end point of one month, 3 of 35 of the CSP and 1 of 27 of the SDP patients died. The average platelet count was 184 × 109 per litre for CSP and 209 × 109 per litre for SDP. While vWF and FVIII were elevated in all patients at entry, no unusually large vWF multimers were seen at any time. At entry 9 patients had ≤ 0–10% ADAMTS 13 and 14 of 62 had normal levels with the rest in between. At presentation only 9 patients had 100% inhibitor activity with no inhibitor in 18 patients. Of the four patients who died, two who received CSP, had 100% enzyme activity at presentation whereas one had no ADAMTS-13 and another had 10%. All 4 patients died within 10 days. Fifteen patients with less than 10% enzyme activity had >1.5 vWF. However, elevated (>3u/mL) vWF was seen in the presence of normal ADAMTS-13 levels. Six months after remission, and in the presence of a normal platelet count, ADAMTS13 remained low in 5 patients and normal in 15.Protein S levels in 41/62 patients studied showed little variation during therapy with values on day 3 and 5, similar to those seen on entry. Conclusion In idiopathic TTP, ADAMTS 13 levels do not correlate with disease, and are not predictive of outcome. While protein S levels in the SDP were lower than those found in FFP, this did not appear to have clinical significance.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18531-e18531
Author(s):  
Jiwen Wang ◽  
Min Luo ◽  
Hanmo Wu ◽  
Liming Sheng ◽  
Dan Su ◽  
...  

e18531 Background: Activated platelet is thought to promote cancer cells growth and metastasis, playing an important role in progression of cancer. However, the association between platelet counts and prognosis of patient with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic value of platelet counts in resectable NSCLC. Methods: A total of 636 primary NSCLC patients who had curatively resected surgery in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from November 2006 to January 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative platelet counts and clinicopathological factors were collected from the medical record database. Patients were followed up for disease progression free survival (PDS) and overall survival (OS) until January 20, 2013. The association between platelet counts and patients’ outcome were evaluated. Results: In all patients, 13.8% (88/636) had increased platelet count (>300 × 109/L), referred to as thrombocytosis. The proportion of thrombocytosis was significantly higher in male, squamous-cell carcinoma and stage III than that in female, other histological types and early stage NSCLC. Moreover, thrombocytosis was associated with significantly shortened survival. Multivariate Cox analysis showed patient with thrombocytosis not only had a 1.66 time elevated risk for disease progression (95% CI, 1.14-2.41, p=0.009), but also had and a 1.47 time risk for death (95% CI, 1.04-2.08, P=0.029), compared with that in those having normal platelet count. More interestingly, the risk for replase was increased to 3.19 times (95% CI, 1.41-7.23, p=0.006) in stage I NSCLC with thrombocytosis than that in patients with normal platelet count after stratified analysis by stage. Conclusions: Preoperative platelet count is an independent prognostic predictor in operable NSCLC, especially in early stage I NSCLC. Platelet count may serve as a useful indicator and potential target for personalized treatment with antiplatelet reagent.


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