Interrelation of blood coagulation and hemorheology in cancer

Cancer progression is associated with activation of blood coagulation. Blood coagulation process, platelet hemostasis and hemorheological properties were evaluated in patients with solid tumors (n = 27) before and after surgery and in healthy control (n = 20). The main features of blood coagulation process in cancer patients were elevated intensity and shortened period of contact phase of coagulation and inhibited fibrinolysis stage. Such prothrombotic state was fixed before surgery as well as in early postoperative period in spite of preventing thromboprophylactic treatment. Platelets depletion within the high level of spontaneous and ADP-induced platelet aggregation was fixed in cancer. The main cause of blood viscosity decrease in cancer patients was dramatic fall of Hct, because blood viscosity adjusted by Hct 40% was increased owing to the rise of plasma viscosity and substantially worsened RBC microrheological properties. The results of our study indicated close correlation between hemorheological and hemostasis parameters; these interrelations were more numerous and strong in cancer. In cancer patients the combination of a high aggregation activity of platelets, reduced number of erythrocytes (Hct), an increase of RBC aggregation and plasma viscosity caused impairment of blood oxygen transportation efficacy that provoke hypoxia in the microcirculation favoring thrombosis, settlement of tumor and metastasis.