The Importance of Red Cell Distribution Width on Gastric Cancer: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Aim: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is an elevated marker in several cancers like breast, colon, prostate and pancreatic cancer at the time of diagnosis. Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer and also the third leading cause of cancer deaths. We aimed to determine whether RDW values diagnosis in GC.Material and Method: This retrospective study included gastric cancer patients. Median age was 42-year old and sex-matched healthy controls. Blood samples were retrospectively obtained from the computerized patient database before surgery or chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Results: RDW, neutrophillymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio(PLR) were significantly higher in GC patients when compared to healthy subjects (RDW: 44,9 vs 41,4 p<0.0001, NLR: 3,40 vs 1,90 p<0.0001, PLR: 245,9 vs 131,1 p=0.007). There was no statistically significant association between these markers (RDW, NLR, and PLR) and stage, histopathological subgroups and metastasis stage at the time of diagnosis. Discussion: Elevated RDW is a simple, cheap and readily available marker and may be useful in GC at the time of early diagnosis especially. Also, NLR and PLR can accompany RDW in the assessment of GC.