In 12 patients with
gastric cancer and in 14 with large bowel
neoplasia, classified according to the TNM system, some major blood indices of hemostasis, platelet activation and fibrinolysis were assessed before and for 1 month after surgery, to show whether possible variations of such indices may provide useful clues to follow-up, treatment effectiveness and prognosis. The following conclusions may be drawn: (1) the assay of platelets,
fibrinogen, AT III,
fibrin(
ogen) degradation products,
fragment X,
platelet factor 4 has provided useful clues in neither group of patients; (2) preoperative high
beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) is a reliable index of
tumor presence in both gastric and large bowel
cancer; (3) postoperative high beta-TG and
fibrinopeptide A (FpA) are reliable indices of (a)
tumor persistence in both gastric and large bowel
cancer; (b) lymph node involvement in gastric much more than in large bowel
cancer; (c) metastatic spreading from
gastric cancer; (4) the FpA levels are proportional to the
tumor mass in
gastric cancer. The finding of lower plasma
heparin levels in neoplastic patients, when compared with controls (20 patients having undergone abdominal surgery for extraneoplastic affections) suggests higher than conventional doses (5,000 units every 8 h s.c.) of the
drug should be given to neoplastic patients in order to prevent thromboembolic bouts and possibly reduce metastatic spreading.