Plasma D-dimer level in the perioperative period in non-small-cell lung cancer

There has been little research on perioperative hypercoagulability in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. The D-dimer can be used to evaluate the hypercoagulability in cancer patients.

Eighty-five non-small-cell lung cancer patients were included in the study. The plasma D-dimer levels during the preoperative and 3rd and 9th day postoperative period were prospectively examined and analyzed along with the clinicopathological characteristics.

The medians (interquartile range) of the preoperative, 3rd and 9th day postoperative D-dimer levels were 1.09 (0.77) mg/L, 3.35 (2.31) mg/L and 4.1 (2.55) mg/L respectively (P= 0.00). The preoperative D-dimer level was related with the stage (P= 0.004). The preoperative and the 3rd day postoperative D-dimer levels were both related to patient age (P= 0.014, P= 0.034). The 3rd day postoperative D-dimer levels were arbitrarily stratified into three groups, adenocarcinoma dominated the high and low groups while squamous cell carcinoma dominated the median one (exact P= 0.02). The pneumonectomy group did not show a higher 3rd day postoperative D-dimer level than the lobectomy group (P= 0.064).

Non-small-cell lung cancer patients had increasing hypercoagulability within the first 9 postoperative days. Preoperative hypercoagulability was close related with tumor stage. Heterogeneity existed among postoperative hypercoagulability.