Comparison of Platelet Counts and Mean Platelet Volume Levels in Skin Cancer Patients and Healthy Individuals

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the platelet (plt) count, mean platelet volume (MPV) and MPV/plt levels in skin cancer patients and to compare them with healthy individuals. Patients and Methods: Between January 2005 and February 2013, medical data of 558 patients with primary skin cancer who were treated at Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Department of Plastic Surgery and Radiation Oncology were retrospectively analyzed. Age and sex of the patients, histopathological subtype of cancer and platelet and MPV values which were checked one day before surgery were recorded. The control group consisted of 308 healthy volunteers who were admitted to Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Check-Up Outpatient Clinic were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline platelet count, MPV value and MPV/plt ratio of patients and healthy were recorded. Comparison was based on t-test test and one way ANOVA. Results: A significant difference in age, plt count, MPV value and MPV/plt ratio was observed among the patients with skin cancer and healthy controls (p<0.001). There was a significant difference in age, MPV/plt ratio and plt count among the patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (p<0.001), but not malignant melanoma (MM) and healthy controls. There was a difference in MPV among the patients with BCC and healthy controls (p<0.034), while no difference was observed among the patients with SCC and MM and healthy controls. Conclusion: Our study results showed MPV is an indicator for inflammatory process and thrombosis and likely, thus, to be a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of skin cancer.