Coagulation disorders in patients with tumors of the uterus

Sixty-eight previously untreated female subjects were studied: 26 patients with cervical carcinoma, 22 with endometrial carcinoma, and 20 with benign uterine diseases. These patients, together with 25 healthy female control subjects, underwent several coagulation tests, including beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) plasma levels. Of all the parameters considered, the variations in beta-TG and PF4 were the most interesting. They were increased in patients with cervical and endometrial carcinoma. The sensitivity of the two tests reached 79% (15/19) for patients with invasive cervical carcinoma and 74% (16/22) for all patients with endometrial carcinoma. Our data demonstrate that among the investigated parameters beta-TG and PF4 are the earliest disorders of the hemostatic system and are more frequently increased in the gynecologic malignancies.