<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mounce, Luke TA</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hamilton, Willie</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Bailey, Sarah ER</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Cancer incidence following a high-normal platelet count: cohort study using electronic healthcare records from English primary care</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">British Journal of General Practice</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2020-09-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><pages><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">e622-e628</style></pages><doi><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">10.3399/bjgp20X710957</style></doi><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">70</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">698</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Background A raised platelet count (thrombocytosis) measuring &gt;400 × 109/l is associated with high cancer incidence. It is uncertain whether platelet counts at the upper end of the normal range (high-normal: 326–400 × 109/l) are also associated with cancer.Aim To investigate cancer incidence following a normal platelet count in primary care.Design and setting A prospective cohort study was undertaken using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, dating from 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2014.Method One-year cancer incidence was estimated for 295 312 patients with normal platelet counts (150–400 × 109/l). Patients with platelet counts &gt;325 × 109/l were oversampled to maximise precision of estimates of cancer incidence. All patients were aged ≥40 years with no prior cancer diagnoses. The effects of age, sex, and smoking were explored. Non-melanoma skin cancers were omitted from exclusions and incidence.Results One-year cancer incidence increased greatly with age, male sex, and higher platelet count. Males aged ≥60 years with a high-normal count had an incidence of 4.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.0 to 4.4). The highest incidence of 6.7% (95% CI = 5.3 to 8.4) was found in males aged ≥80 years, who had platelets in the range of 376–400 × 109/l; this was 3.1 percentage points higher than the incidence for patients in the same age group with lower-normal counts of 150–325 × 109/l. Risks for all female subgroups were &lt;3%. Patients with high-normal platelet counts were most at risk of lung and colorectal cancers and, in general, had advanced-stage cancer at diagnosis.Conclusion Platelet counts at the high-normal range in males aged ≥60 years may be indicative of an underlying malignancy, and referral for further investigation should be considered.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>