The value of the platelet mean volume to platelet count ratio (MPV/PC) in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer: A retrospective clinical study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and early diagnosis and prognostic assessment are crucial for improving patient survival. The ratio of platelet mean volume (MPV) to platelet count (PC) (MPV/PC) has been proposed as a potential diagnostic biomarker for tumors. A total of 321 participants were included in this study, with 204 in the CRC group and 117 in the control group. By comparing the baseline characteristics of the 2 groups, the application of MPV/PC ratio in CRC diagnosis and its association with clinical pathological features were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of MPV/PC ratio, and multivariate regression analysis was performed to explore its role in postoperative recurrence risk assessment. The MPV/PC ratio in the CRC group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < .001). The average age was 62.7 years in the CRC group and 60.5 years in the control group, with a male proportion of 56.4% and 52.1%, respectively. The area under the curve of MPV/PC ratio was 0.802, with a sensitivity of 76.5% and specificity of 78.3%, showing good diagnostic efficacy. High MPV/PC ratio was closely associated with unfavorable prognostic factors such as lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and carcinoembryonic antigen levels. MPV/PC ratio was identified as an independent risk factor for CRC and effectively predicted postoperative recurrence risk (hazard ratio = 2.12, P = .002). The MPV/PC ratio is a simple, low-cost, and effective biomarker that provides important reference value in the early screening, diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and postoperative recurrence risk prediction of CRC. It has broad potential as a clinical tool and warrants further research and validation.