Pre-treatment platelet counts as a prognostic and predictive factor in stage II and III rectal adenocarcinoma

Table 2 Comparison of characteristics of patients according to their pathologic response at surgery (n = 48) or at post-neoadjuvant treatment endoscopy (n = 3) n (%)

	No response/minimal/moderate	Good/ complete	χ2P value
Age (yr)
> 60	13 (35.1)	8 (57.1)	0.15
≤ 60	24 (64.9)	6 (42.9)
Clinical stage
II	16 (43.2)	9 (64.3)	0.18
III	21 (56.8)	5 (35.7)
CEA (n = 50)
> 5	24 (64.9)	1 (7.7)	0.0004
< 5	13 (35.1)	12 (92.3)
Symptoms
Obstruction/pain	12 (32.4)	1 (7.1)	0.06
Bleeding/asymptomatic	25 (67.6)	13 (92.9)
Platelets
≤ 300	15 (40.5)	11 (78.6)	0.015
> 300	22 (59.5)	3 (21.4)

Pre-operative CEA not available in one patient. CEA: Carcinoembryonic antigen.