It is well known that cancer induces changes in hemostasis. Plasma levels of Fibrinopeptide A (FPA), D-Dimer (DD), von Willebrand Factor (FvW) and fibrinogen were-assayed at diagnosis in 66 patients with cervical carcinoma and in 67 healthy women as controls. FPA, DD and fibrinogen levels were significantly higher in patients with FIGO stage I b-IIa cervical carcinoma than in controls (2.25 +/- 0.25 vs 1.19 +/- 0.15 p less than 0.001; 307 +/- 35 vs 112 +/- 8 p less than 0.001; 375 +/- 23 vs 280 +/- 17 p less than 0.001 respectively). A further increase of DD, FPA but not of fibrinogen concentrations was observed in advanced stages of disease (3.52 +/- 0.81 vs 2.25 +/- 0.25 p less than 0.1; 943 +/- 98 vs 307 +/- 35 p less than 0.001; 407 +/- 26 vs 375 +/- 23 p = NS respectively). FvW levels in patients with early stage cervical carcinoma were in the normal range, while in patients with advanced cancer, they were significantly higher (175 +/- 8 vs 104 +/- 2 p less than 0.001). A significant correlation was found between plasmatic levels of FPA and DD, FPA and FvW, DD and FvW (r = 0.57 p less than 0.01; r = 0.76 p less than 0.01; r = 0.54 p less than 0.01 respectively). Our data seem to indicate that in patients with cervical carcinoma, and in particular in those with advanced cancer, there is an activation of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis.