Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2009 Oct;15(5):535-9. Epub 2008 Jun 29.
The risk of cancer progression in women with gynecological malignancies and
thrombophilic polymorphisms: a pilot case-control study.
Tormene D, Beltramello P, Perlati M, Brandolin B, Barbar S, De Toffoli G, Simioni
P.
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Second Chair of Internal Medicine,
University of Padua Medical School, Padua, Italy. [email protected]
Cancer produces a hypercoagulable state, which might lead to thrombosis, and on
contrary, unprovoked venous thromboembolism might be the manifestation of an
occult cancer. In this pilot case-control study, we assessed the risk of
gynecological malignant diseases related to the presence of the factor V Leiden
and prothrombin G20210A polymorphisms. Fifty-two women underwent an operation for
gynecological malignancy and were enrolled in the study. Women who underwent an
operation for gynecological nonmalignant disease in the same days of cases were
considered as controls. The presence of factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A
was assessed in case and control groups. In all, 7 out of 52 cases were carriers
of the 2 polymorphisms compared with 20 out of 198 controls (odds ratio = 1.3;
95% confidence interval, 0.6-3.0). The results were also similar when the risk
was considered separately for the site of cancer. As for advanced and metastatic
malignancies, the odds ratios were 2.3 (95% confidence interval, 0.9-6.0) and 3.3
(95% confidence interval, 1.0-11), respectively, compared to noncancer patients.
When these 2 groups were compared to nonadvanced cancer group, the odds ratios
for carriers of polymorphisms were 2.7 (95%confidence interval, 0.7-11.0) and 3.9
(95%confidence interval, 0.8-18.6) for advanced cancer and metastatic
malignancies, respectively. Women with factor V Leiden or prothrombin G20210A
polymorphisms who developed gynecological malignancy might present with a higher
stage of cancer at the time of surgery. Larger case-control studies in similar
cohort of patients are needed to confirm these findings.
PMID: 18591179 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE