Review for 10.1186/s12876-020-01225-y (2020)

Reviewer’s report
Title:  Reduced  mean  platelet  volume  levels  predict  shorter  survival  in  patients  with  resectable
pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and type 2 diabetes
Version: 1 Date: 03 Mar 2020
Reviewer: Eithne Costello
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for addressing my comments. 
I have two items that I ask you to please correct.
1. It was not my intention that my comments regarding the percentage of PDAC patients with diabetes
would be used verbatim (page 10, line 1-5). 
I suggest the following words:
Diabetes and pre-diabetes is frequently undiagnosed in PDAC patients. When tested for diabetes, the
percentage of PDAC patients with diabetes mellitus is around 50%. This increases if prediabetes is also
considered. Therefore the incidence of diabetes reported in this cohort is likely to be underestimated.
2. My comment regarding the optimal cut-off for MPV requiring validation is not worded correctly in
the discussion (page 9 lines 18-20). 
I suggest the following wording:
The optimal cut-off value of MPV for OS prediction of 10.0 fL at a sensitivity and specificity of 75.1%
and 71.4% respectively requires independent validation.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
Yes
Does the work include the necessary controls?
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.
Yes
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.
Yes
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an additional
statistical review?
If  an  additional  statistical  review  is  recommended,  please  specify  what  aspects  require  further
assessment in your comments to the editors.
I am able to assess the statistics
Quality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
Needs some language corrections before being published
Declaration of competing interests
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this
manuscript, either now or in the future?
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the
manuscript?
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that holds
or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?
6. Do you have any non-financial competing interests in relation to this paper?
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' below. If
your reply is yes to any, please give details below.
None
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included on my
report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report including any 
attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' responses. I agree for my 
report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons CC-BY license 
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments which I do not wish to 
be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments to the editors, which will not
be published.
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal