The Connection between Platelets and the Development of Cancer

Platelets are tiny (2-4 m), anucleate, hematopoietic cells that are discharged into the circulation by bone marrow megakaryocytes. Platelets were formerly thought to be the main agents of hemostasis and thrombosis. Armand Trousseau established a strong link between thrombosis and cancer in 1865. The hypothesis that platelets play many roles in the development of malignancies and in cancer-associated thrombosis is thus supported by a wealth of clinical and experimental data.The functions of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) in the development of cancer, from primary tumors to subsequent metastatic breakouts, will be covered in this study.