Association of C-reactive protein levels and long-term survival after neoadjuvant therapy and esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

Abstract

Background: Preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) levels have been shown to be prognostic markers of survival in patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer. No study has evaluated the predictive value for survival of CRP levels after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: Preoperative CRP levels were assessed in patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy and esophagectomy for cancer. Groups were defined according to normal value cutoffs of the CRP measurements.

Results: Seventy patients had normal CRP, and 20 patients had raised CRP. The groups did not differ in descriptives, comorbidities, white cell counts, pathological data, or morbidity. In-hospital death was higher in the raised CRP group (three versus one patient, p = 0.048). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a significant survival advantage of patients with normal CRP compared to patients with raised CRP levels (median survival, 65.4 versus 18.7 months; log rank test, p = 0.027). The Cox regression analysis identified three independent prognostic factors for survival: UICC stage (IIB/III versus I/IIA, HR 3.48, p = 0.007), completeness of resection (HR 6.33, p = 0.002), and CRP levels (raised versus normal, HR 5.07, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: Preoperative CRP levels are an independent prognostic marker for survival after neoadjuvant treatment in patients with esophageal cancer and may be of value in the re-staging process after neoadjuvant treatment.