Perhaps not even peripherally related.....
Clin Cancer Res 2000 Jan;6(1):166-71
Platelet and coagulation activation with vascular endothelial growth factor
generation in soft tissue sarcomas.
Verheul HM, Hoekman K, Lupu F, Broxterman HJ, van der Valk P, Kakkar AK, Pinedo HM
Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
[Medline record in process]
Angiogenesis and activated blood coagulation are involved in tumor growth and metastasis. Although some have suggested that
activation of coagulation in tumors is not linked to activation of platelets, no data exist to either support or refute this concept.
However, platelet turnover in cancer patients is often increased, and platelets are carriers of angiogenic growth factors. We
hypothesized that platelets are involved in tumor-associated angiogenesis. To obtain evidence supporting this hypothesis, we
have studied whether the angiogenic and coagulation pathways and platelets are concomitantly activated in cancer patients with
soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) using a novel method to detect activated platelets in tumor specimens. Twelve patients with STS
were selected on the basis of having intratumoral accumulation of fluid, which was aspirated. These accumulations
demonstrated very high concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor and coagulation factors (including
thrombin-antithrombin-complex). Tumor specimens showed dense vascularization with intense vascular endothelial growth
factor expression and the presence of activated platelets. Taken together, these results support the concept that angiogenesis,
blood coagulation, and platelets are concomitantly activated in STS and support the hypothesis that platelets contribute to
tumor-induced angiogenesis. |
