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The mean corpuscular volume as a prognostic factor for colorectal cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to identify the factors investigated during routine blood examinations which can predict the disease outcome independent of the tumor stage.

Methods

Data from 1174 patients with stage I, II, and III CRC who underwent R0 resection were included. We investigated the correlations between the preoperative routine blood examination data, and clinicopathological factors, and disease-free survival (DFS) using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

The univariate analysis showed that tumor location, tumor stage, CRP, serum albumin, creatine kinase, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and the administration of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly correlated with the DFS. The multivariate analysis of the factors associated with the DFS showed that stage and MCV were significant factors; an MCV of <80 fL was associated with a superior DFS in comparison to an MCV of 80–100 fL (hazard ratio: 0.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.13–0.61, p = 0.0003). The DFS in patients with an MCV of <80 fL was superior to that in patients with an MCV of ≥80 fL, irrespective of whether the patients underwent postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusion

MCV was a prognostic factor for the DFS, independent of the tumor stage, in CRC patients who underwent R0 resection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya First Hospital, 3-35 Michishita-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, 453-8511, Japan

    Hidemasa Nagai, Norihiro Yuasa, Eiji Takeuchi, Hideo Miyake, Yuichiro Yoshioka & Kanji Miyata

Authors
  1. Hidemasa Nagai
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  2. Norihiro Yuasa
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  3. Eiji Takeuchi
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  4. Hideo Miyake
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  5. Yuichiro Yoshioka
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  6. Kanji Miyata
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Norihiro Yuasa.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in association with the present study.

Funding source

The present study received no funding.

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Nagai, H., Yuasa, N., Takeuchi, E. et al. The mean corpuscular volume as a prognostic factor for colorectal cancer. Surg Today 48, 186–194 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-017-1575-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-017-1575-x

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