Clinical Analysis of Oxaliplatin-related Thrombocytopenia in Patients with Digestive System Malignancy

Abstract

Objective To investigate the changing trend and correlation of platelet count and spleen diameter in patients with digestive system malignancy receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 72 patients with digestive system cancer, recorded and analyzed platelet count and spleen diameter during and after oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Results The incidence of thrombocytopenia in all patients was 65.3%. The median time of thrombocytopenia after the beginning of chemotherapy was 2.53±0.49 months, and the median cumulative dose of oxaliplatin was 520±35.81 mg/m2; the median time of lowest platelet count after the beginning of chemotherapy was 4.03±0.49 months, and the median cumulative dose of oxaliplatin was 780±36.32 mg/m2. Splenomegaly occurred in 52(72.2%) patients during the follow-up. The median increase rate was (18.82±0.01)%. The median time of splenomegaly after the beginning of chemotherapy was 2.15±0.19 months, the median time for the largest spleen diameter was 4.68±2.89 months; after the end of chemotherapy, the median time for spleen contraction was 3.28±0.44 months, and the median time for spleen recovery was 8.80±1.05 months. Conclusion Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy can cause thrombocytopenia and splenomegaly, and it is difficult to recover to baseline for a long time after the end of chemotherapy. The increase of spleen diameter was positively correlated with splenomegaly and thrombocytosis.

Keywords

• chemotherapy
• oxaliplatin
• sinusoidal obstruction syndrome
• splenomegaly
• thrombocytopenia