Leukocytosis, but Not Thrombocytosis, May Constitute a Prothrombotic Pathway in Women with Ovarian Cancer: A Cohort Study

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs at a higher rate in cancer patients and is frequently associated with well-known prothrombotic risk factors such as prolonged bed rest, central venous catheters, diverse oncological treatments and invasive procedures. Patients may share one or more risk factors. In addition, there seem to be tumor-driven prothrombotic pathways. Thus different tumors may promote activation of coagulation either directly through the expression of procoagulant molecules such as tissue factor or indirectly through the secretion of factors that in turn induce thrombocytosis or leukocytosis. Certain pathways may be more characteristic of a particular cancer cell type. Figuring out what these pathways are in different tumors may help better understand how these risk factors may be targeted.Regarding ovarian cancer, it has been suggested that tumor-driven elevated platelet counts may be the pathway promoting thrombosis (Hisada Y and Mackman N. Blood 2017 :blood-2017-03-743211). Indeed platelet counts above 450,000/ul are reported in close to a third of women with ovarian cancer at diagnosis and murine models show aberrant IL-6/IL-6R expression by malignant cells which induce hepatic thrombopoietin secretion driving thrombocytosis (Stone RL et al N Engl J Med. 2012, 16;366(7):610-8) In fact, high IL-6 levels have been documented in woman with ovarian cancer. Another pathway is tumor-induced leucocytosis through expression of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-...
Source: Blood - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: 331. Pathophysiology of Thrombosis: Poster I Source Type: research