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. 2017 Jun;36(2):305-329.
doi: 10.1007/s10555-017-9683-z.

Antiplatelet agents for cancer treatment: a real perspective or just an echo from the past?

Marek Z Wojtukiewicz  1 , Dominika Hempel  2 , Ewa Sierko  3 , Stephanie C Tucker  4 , Kenneth V Honn  4   5   6
Affiliations

Antiplatelet agents for cancer treatment: a real perspective or just an echo from the past?

Marek Z Wojtukiewicz et al. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

The association between coagulation and cancer development has been observed for centuries. However, the connection between inflammation and malignancy is also well-recognized. The plethora of evidence indicates that among multiple hemostasis components, platelets play major roles in cancer progression by providing surface and granular contents for several interactions as well as behaving like immune cells. Therefore, the anticancer potential of anti-platelet therapy has been intensively investigated for many years. Anti-platelet agents may prevent cancer, decrease tumor growth, and metastatic potential, as well as improve survival of cancer patients. On the other hand, there are suggestions that antiplatelet treatment may promote solid tumor development in a phenomenon described as "cancers follow bleeding." The controversies around antiplatelet agents justify insight into the subject to establish what, if any, role platelet-directed therapy has in the continuum of anticancer management.

Keywords: Anti-platelet therapy; Cancer; Platelet.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Platelet receptors and molecules contributed to cancer dissemination. CLEC-2 C-type lectin-like receptor-2, GPIb-IX-V glycoproteins Ib-IX-V, VI, IIb-IIIa, PAR protease-activated receptors for thrombin, P2Y purigenic P2 receptors for nucleotides, TCIPA tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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