VEGFA and neoplasm: In the extravascular phase, platelets facilitate tumor aggressiveness and metastasis by several mechanisms: (i) platelets activated by shear stress lead to tumor cell attachment to the subendothelial extracellular matrix in vitro [8]; (ii) tumor-platelet interaction stimulates VEGF and tissue factors, promoting tumor adhesion and vessel hyperpermeability [9, 10]; and (iii) local embolization of the microvasculature with tumor-platelet aggregation encourages extravasation [11].