Prognostic Value of Combined Hematological/Biochemical Indexes and Tumor Clinicopathologic Features in Colorectal Cancer Patients—A Pilot Single Center Study

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant public health problem. There is increasing evidence that the host’s immune response and nutritional status play a role in the development and progression of cancer. The aim of our study was to examine the prognostic value of clinical markers/indexes of inflammation, nutritional and pathohistological status in relation to overall survival and disease free-survival in CRC. The total number of CRC patients included in the study was 111 and they underwent laboratory analyses within a week before surgery. Detailed pathohistological analysis and laboratory parameters were part of the standard hospital pre-operative procedure. Medical data were collected from archived hospital data. Data on the exact date of death were obtained by inspecting the death registers for the territory of the Republic of Serbia. All parameters were analyzed in relation to the overall survival and survival period without disease relapse. The follow-up median was 42 (24−48) months. The patients with the III, IV and V degrees of the Clavien–Dindo classification had 2.609 (HR: 2.609; 95% CI: 1.437−4.737; p = 0.002) times higher risk of death. The modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) 2 and higher lymph node ratio carried a 2.188 (HR: 2.188; 95% CI: 1.413−3.387; p < 0.001) and 6.862 (HR: 6.862; 95% CI: 1.635−28.808; p = 0.009) times higher risk of death in the postoperative period, respectively; the risk was 3.089 times higher (HR: 3.089; 95% CI: 1.447−6.593; p = 0.004) in patients with verified tumor deposits. The patients with tumor deposits had 1.888 (HR: 1.888; 95% CI: 1024−3481; p = 0.042) and 3.049 (HR: 3.049; 95% CI: 1.206−7.706; p = 0.018) times higher risk of disease recurrence, respectively. The emphasized peritumoral lymphocyte response reduced the risk of recurrence by 61% (HR: 0.391; 95% CI: 0.196−0.780; p = 0.005). Standard perioperative laboratory and pathohistological parameters, which do not present any additional cost for the health system, may provide information on the CRC patient outcome and lay the groundwork for a larger prospective examination.