Background
Detection of early-stage cancer significantly improves patient survival. As platelets play an important role in cancer progression, we aimed to investigate whether platelets can be used for the discovery of early-stage cancer.
Methods
Patients with lung (n = 86) or head of pancreas (n = 42) cancer were included, as were healthy sex- and age-matched controls (n = 92). Blood was collected before initiation of treatment. Platelet count, volume and activation status were quantified in whole blood. Next, concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, platelet factor 4, thrombospondin-1 and connective tissue-activating peptide III were measured in both platelets and plasma. Using the