Thrombocytopenia: A prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal vein tumor thrombus after hepatectomy

BACKGROUND AND AIM Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) predicts a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Platelets (PLTs) play an important role in HCC progression and metastasis. However, the relationship between PLTs and PVTT remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the value of PLT counts in the prognosis of HCC patients with PVTT after hepatectomy. METHODS From January 2002 to December 2012, 694 HCC patients with PVTT after hepatectomy were evaluated. The patients were divided into the thrombocytopenia group (PLT 300 × 109 /L) based on the preoperative PLT level. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used. RESULTS Before the PSM, PVTT patients with thrombocytopenia exhibited longer recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with those with normal PLT counts (both P