Platelets facilitate tumor cell survival, immune evasion, and metastatic seeding through release of pro-tumorigenic mediators (e.g., TGF-β, VEGF) and physical cloaking of circulating tumor cells; such effects are more likely to influence long-term mortality than the early radiographic or PSA-based progression, as captured through PFS. Here, TGFB1 is linked to neoplasm.