Impact of thrombocytosis and C-reactive protein elevation on the prognosis for patients with renal cell carcinoma

Aim: C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation is reportedly a prognostic factor in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Thrombocytosis has recently been reported also to be a prognostic factor in RCC and, like CRP, to be related to inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of both thrombocytosis and CRP elevation in tumor recurrence and prognosis for patients with RCC. Methods: The clinical records of 178 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy were reviewed. Thrombocytosis was defined as a platelet count >= 350 000/mm(3), and CRP elevation was defined as a CRP level >= 1.0 mg/dL. Disease-free survival and cause-specific survival rates were calculated. Independent predictors for recurrence and prognosis were determined. Results: Patients with thrombocytosis and patients with elevated CRP levels had significantly higher pathological T stage, clinical stage, tumor size, histological grade, and percentage of microvascular invasion than did patients without THC and patients with CRP levels < 1.0 mg/dL, respectively. There was a significant correlation between platelet counts and CRP levels. Multivariate analysis showed that distant metastasis, tumor size, grade 3 components, and CRP elevation were independent predictors for prognosis but thrombocytosis was not. In N0M0 RCC patients, tumor size, microvascular invasion, and CRP elevation were independent predictors for recurrence. CRP elevation and tumor size were independent predictors for prognosis. Conclusions: Platelet count and CRP level are strongly correlated in patients with RCC, but only CRP elevation is an independent predictor for recurrence and prognosis.