Platelet count and preoperative haemoglobin do not significantly increase the performance of established predictors of renal cell carcinoma-specific mortality.

Abstract

Anaemia and/or thrombocytosis were identified as independent predictors of poor survival in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We tested the extent to which these markers worsen the prognosis in these patients. Analyses targeted 1828 patients with renal cell carcinoma. Univariable, multivariable, and predictive accuracy analyses addressed RCC-specific mortality (RCC-SM). In univariable and multivariable analyses, both platelet count and preoperative haemoglobin level were statistically significant predictors of RCC-SM. However, neither platelet count nor preoperative haemoglobin level increased the combined multivariable accuracy of established RCC-SM (predictive accuracy gain=0.3%) predictors. Patients who present with severe anaemia or elevated platelets are at no higher risk of RCC-SM than that related to their stage, grade, histologic subtype, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status.