Elevated fibrin-related markers in patients with malignant diseases suspected of having thrombotic disorders

Background: Most patients with malignant diseases are frequently complicated with some type of thrombosis, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT)/pulmonary embolism (PE). Objective: The cohort and retrospective study was designed to examine the frequency of thrombosis in patients with malignant diseases and to evaluate the efficacy of D-dimer and soluble fibrin (SF) for the diagnosis of thrombosis. Patients/Methods: The plasma concentrations of D-dimer and SF were measured in patients with malignant diseases suspected of having thrombosis. D-dimer and SF were measured using a latex aggregation assay. Results: Thrombosis was observed in 23.3% of the patients with malignant diseases. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was frequently observed in patients with hepatoma, and DVT/PE was frequently observed in patients with colon cancer, lung cancer, and uterine cancer. The plasma levels of D-dimer and SF were increased in malignant diseases, especially hepatoma. Plasma levels of D-dimer and SF were significantly higher in patients with thrombosis in comparison to patients without thrombosis. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed the D-dimer and SF levels to be useful in the diagnosis of thrombosis. Conclusion: Elevated D-dimer and SF levels might indicate a high risk of thrombosis in patients with malignant disease; however, these assays still need to be standardized.