Elevated platelet distribution width predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Hematology
• Hepatology

Background:

• Platelets are implicated in tumor growth, invasion, and angiogenesis.
• The prognostic significance of platelet indices in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between platelet indices and prognosis in HCC patients.
• To evaluate platelet distribution width (PDW) as a potential prognostic marker for HCC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 260 HCC patients (January 2009 - December 2015).
• Identification of optimal platelet distribution width (PDW) cutoff using ROC curve analysis.
• Assessment of PDW's relationship with clinicopathological features and prognostic effects via Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models.

Main Results:

• Elevated PDW levels correlated significantly with portal hypertension, vascular invasion, and Child-Pugh grade.
• Patients with high PDW exhibited significantly worse prognosis compared to those with low PDW (P<0.001).
• Multivariate Cox regression identified PDW as an independent prognostic factor in HCC (HR: 4.460, 95% CI: 2.308-8.619, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Elevated PDW may represent a novel predictive marker for HCC prognosis.
• Further research is necessary to validate these findings and establish PDW's clinical utility.