Higher Hematogenous Metastatic Rate Associated with Thrombocytosis in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

One thousand one hundred and eighty-nine patients were treated in this hospital with radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer from 1984 to 1989. Among them, 608 were eligible by retrospective analysis, according to their first visit platelet counts. Thrombocytosis or platelet counts＞400,000/ul was noticed at the initiation of radiotherapy in 37(6.1%)of the 608. They were been compared with those with normal platelet counts. The hematogenous metastatic rate for the 37 patients with thrombocytosis was 89.1%, whereas, for the 571 patients without thrombocytosis, it was 16.8% (P＜0.005). Thrombocytosis is a significant indicator of an increased hematogenous metastatic rate in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.