Abstract
BACKGROUND: The value of platelet characteristics as a prognostic factor in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. METHODS: We assessed the prognostic ability of post-splenectomy thrombocytosis in patients who underwent left pancreatectomy for PDAC. Perioperative platelet count ratio (PPR), defined as the ratio between the maximum platelet count during the first five days following surgery and the preoperative level, was assessed in relation to long-term outcomes in patients who underwent left pancreatectomy for PDAC between November 2008 and October 2022. RESULTS: A comparative cohort of 245 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for PDAC was also evaluated. The median PPR among 106 patients who underwent left pancreatectomy was 1.4 (IQR1.1, 1.8). Forty-six had a PPR ≥ 1.5 (median 1.9, IQR1.7, 2.4) and 60 had a PPR < 1.5 (median 1.2, IQR1.0, 1.3). Patients with a PPR ≥ 1.5 had increased median overall survival (OS) compared to patients with a PPR < 1.5 (40 months vs. 20 months, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, PPR < 1.5 remained a strong predictor of worse OS (HR 2.24, p = 0.008). Among patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, the median PPR was 1.1 (IQR1.0, 1.3), which was significantly lower compared to patients who underwent left pancreatectomy (p > 0.001) and did not predict OS. CONCLUSION: PPR is a biomarker for OS after left pancreatectomy for PDAC. Further studies are warranted to consolidate these findings.