Plasma D-dimer level in the perioperative period in non-small-cell lung cancer

Background: There has been little research on perioperative hypercoagulability in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. The D-dimer can be used to evaluate the hypercoagulability in cancer patients. Methods: Eighty-five non-small-cell lung cancer patients were included in the study. The plasma D-dimer levels during the preoperative and 3rd and 9th day postoperative period were prospectively examined and analyzed along with the clinicopathological characteristics. Results: The medians (interquartile range) of the preoperative, 3rd and 9th day postoperative D-dimer levels were 1.09 (0.77) mg/L, 3.35 (2.31) mg/L and 4.1 (2.55) mg/L respectively (P= 0.00). The preoperative D-dimer level was related with the stage (P= 0.004). The preoperative and the 3rd day postoperative D-dimer levels were both related to patient age (P= 0.014, P= 0.034). The 3rd day postoperative D-dimer levels were arbitrarily stratified into three groups, adenocarcinoma dominated the high and low groups while squamous cell carcinoma dominated the median one (exact P= 0.02). The pneumonectomy group did not show a higher 3rd day postoperative D-dimer level than the lobectomy group (P= 0.064). Conclusion: Non-small-cell lung cancer patients had increasing hypercoagulability within the first 9 postoperative days. Preoperative hypercoagulability was close related with tumor stage. Heterogeneity existed among postoperative hypercoagulability.