Table 1 Comparison of patient characteristics and pathologic outcomes according to the TILs and NLR respectively.

From: Clinical significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with stage III colon cancer who underwent surgery followed by FOLFOX chemotherapy

Variable

High TILs (n = 75)

(%)

Low TILs (n = 62)

(%)

P value

Low NLR

(<3) (n = 97)

(%)

High NLR

(≥3) (n = 40)

(%)

P value

Gender

Male

39 (52)

46 (74.2)

0.008

60 (61.9)

25 (62.5)

1.0

Female

36 (48)

16 (25.8)

 

37 (38.1)

15 (37.5)

 

Age (years)

<70

61 (81.3)

52 (83.9)

0.822

80 (82.5)

33 (82.5)

1.0

≥70

14 (18.7)

10 (16.1)

 

17 (17.5)

7 (17.5)

 

BMI (kg/m2)

<25

58 (77.3)

43 (69.4)

0.332

69 (71.1)

32 (80)

0.299

≥25

17 (22.7)

19 (30.6)

 

28 (28.9)

8 (20)

 

ASA grade

I

30 (40)

35 (56.5)

0.160

48 (49.5)

17 (42.5)

0.743*

II

36 (48)

21 (33.9)

 

39 (40.2)

18 (45)

 

III

9 (12)

6 (9.7)

 

10 (10.3)

5 (12.5)

 

CEA (ng/mL)

<5

56 (74.7)

37 (59.7)

0.069

67 (69.1)

26 (65)

0.689

≥5

19 (25.3)

25 (40.3)

 

30 (30.9)

14 (35)

 

Tumor location†

Proximal

25 (33.3)

17 (27.4)

0.465

26 (26.8)

16 (40)

0.155

Distal

50 (66.7)

45 (72.6)

 

71 (73.2)

24 (60)

 

Operation time (min)

<300

61 (81.3)

49 (79)

0.830

78 (80.4)

32 (80)

1.0

≥300

14 (18.7)

13 (21)

 

19 (19.6)

8 (20)

 

Complications

No

66 (88)

48 (77.4)

0.113

79 (81.4)

35 (87.5)

0.460

Yes

9 (12)

14 (22.6)

 

18 (18.6)

5 (12.5)

 

Tumor size (cm)

<5

49 (65.3)

41 (66.1)

1.0

70 (72.2)

20 (50)

0.017

≥5

26 (34.7)

21 (33.9)

 

27 (27.8)

20 (50)

 

LVI

Negative

48 (64)

33 (53.2)

0.225

55 (56.7)

26 (65)

0.446

Positive

27 (36)

29 (46.8)

 

42 (43.3)

14 (35)

 

No. of metastatic LNs

Mean ± SD

4.2 ± 4.8

3.9 ± 3.1

0.703

4 ± 4.3

4.2 ± 3.7

0.758

No. of retrieved LNs

Mean ± SD

27.2 ± 14.6

26.7 ± 13.4

0.835

24.8 ± 12.7

32.4 ± 15.7

0.003

LN numbers

<12

3 (4)

4 (6.5)

0.701*

7 (7.2)

0

0.106*

≥12

72 (96)

58 (93.5)

 

90 (92.8)

40 (100)

 

LNR

<0.103

39 (52)

29 (46.8)

0.608

47 (48.5)

21 (52.5)

0.710

≥0.103

36 (48)

33 (53.2)

 

50 (51.5)

19 (47.5)

 

Stage

IIIA

9 (12)

2 (3.2)

0.134*

10 (10.3)

1 (2.5)

0.331*

IIIB

48 (64)

40 (64.5)

 

60 (61.9)

28 (70)

 

IIIC

18 (24)

20 (32.3)

 

27 (27.8)

11 (27.5)

 

MSI

MSS

36 (48)

34 (54.8)

0.237

52 (53.6)

18 (45)

0.439*

MSI-High

4 (5.3)

1 (1.6)

 

2 (2.1)

3 (7.5)

 

MSI-Low

6 (8)

1 (1.6)

 

5 (5.2)

2 (5)

 

No data

29 (38.7)

26 (41.9)

 

38 (39.2)

17 (42.5)

 

KRAS

Wild type

19 (25.3)

16 (25.8)

0.299

24 (24.7)

11 (27.5)

0.402

Mutation

16 (21.3)

7 (11.3)

 

19 (19.6)

4 (10)

 

No data

40 (53.3)

39 (62.9)

 

54 (55.7)

25 (62.5)

 

High TILs

 

N/A

N/A

 

51 (52.6)

24 (60)

0.456

Low TILs

 

N/A

N/A

 

46 (47.4)

16 (40)

 

NLR < 3

 

51 (68)

46 (74.2)

0.456

N/A

N/A

 

NLR ≥ 3

 

24 (32)

16 (25.8)

 

N/A

N/A

 
  1. *Fisher’s exact test.
  2. †Tumor location: Proximal: Cecum – Transverse colon; Distal: Descending colon – Rectosigmoid junction, Two patients with synchronous colon cancer were classified into distal group for statistical reason.
  3. Abbreviations; TILs: Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes; NLR: Neutrophil to lymphocytes ratio; BMI: body mass index; ASA: American society of anesthesiologists; CEA: Carcinoembryonic Antigen; LVI: Lymphovascular invasion; LN: Lymph node; LNR: Lymph node ratio; MSS: Microsatellite stability, MSI: Microsatellite instability.
  4. SD: Standard Deviation.
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