Platelets and cancer... the plot doesn't always thicken

Abstract

Background Platelets have critical roles in preventing blood loss following injury, promoting wound healing, and in fighting infection through innate immune defense strategies.

Key Results Deficiencies in platelet number or function either as a result of disease, as a consequence of therapy, or both can lead to dramatic and potentially fatal consequences.

Conclusions and Inferences With the advent of new therapeutics targeting pathways within hematological malignant cells that are also important for platelet function, monitoring the state of a patient's haemostasis system is now an important clinical consideration. Show more