Evaluation of mean platelet volume as a predictive marker for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism during chemotherapy

Mean platelet volume has been proposed as a predictor for venous thromboembolism in cancer. We, therefore, investigated the effects of different anti-cancer drugs on mean platelet volume in order to assess its possible value in the risk prediction of a first thromboembolic episode in cancer outpatients during treatment. Pre-treatment mean platelet volumes were retrospectively evaluated in 589 ambulatory patients at the beginning of a new chemotherapy regimen. Moreover, serial changes were evaluated at baseline and before each chemotherapy cycle on 385 of the 589 patients who consented to have additional blood withdrawals during treatment. Cox proportional hazards survival analysis demonstrated a 2.7 hazard ratio (P=0.01) of developing a first venous thromboembolic episode during chemotherapy for patients with baseline mean platelet volumes below the 10(th) percentile (<7.3 fL). This index significantly declined during the first three months of chemotherapy (-6%; P