Fibrinogen levels correlate with stage of disease in patients with oesophageal cancer

Abstract

A hypercoagulable state is well recognized in association with cancer and results in a greatly increased risk of thromboembolic disease during surgery in these patients. This study examines routine laboratory measurements of coagulation and attempts to correlate these with disease stage in patients with oesophageal cancer. Fibrinogen concentration, platelet count and routine coagulation tests were examined before operation in a consecutive group of 73 patients with oesophageal carcinoma. All patients were staged according to standard Union Internacional Contra la Cancrum criteria. The fibrinogen concentration was significantly higher in patients with oesophageal carcinoma than in age- and sex-matched control patients with benign disease (P < 0.005). Fibrinogen concentration was higher in patients with greater depth of invasion (P < 0.005) and those with metastatic disease (P < 0.01). This study demonstrates a stage-dependent phenomenon of hyperfibrinogenaemia in association with oesophageal carcinoma.