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The T-CEA score: a useful prognostic indicator based on postoperative CEA and pathological T4 levels for patients with stage II–III colorectal cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate a prognostic score for stage II–III colorectal cancer (CRC) based on post-CEA and pT4 levels.

Methods

Two cohorts of stage II–III CRC patients who underwent curative surgery between 2011 and 2017 were included. The prognostic score (T-CEA score) was calculated as follows: T-CEA-0, post-CEA ≤ 5 ng/mL and pT1–3; T-CEA-1, post-CEA > 5 ng/mL or pT4; T-CEA-2, post-CEA > 5 ng/mL and pT4.

Results

The T-CEA scores of the 587 patients were as follows: T-CEA-0 (n = 436; 74%), T-CEA-1 (n = 129; 22%), and T-CEA-2 (n = 10; 2%). The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates of the T-CEA-0, 1, and 2 groups were 80.3%, 54.8%, and 0%, respectively (P < 0.01), and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 90.9%, 74.2%, and 0%, respectively (T-CEA-0 vs T-CEA-1: P < 0.01, T-CEA-1 vs T-CEA-2: P = 0.04). Multivariate analysis revealed that an elevated T-CEA score of 1 or 2 was a significant risk factor for poor RFS (HR: 2.89, P < 0.01) and OS (HR: 2.85, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The T-CEA score is a reliable and convenient prognostic score for stage II–III CRC.

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Data availability

All authors are available for the raw data of this study.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mr. Steven D. Aird for preliminary English language editing.

Funding

This research did not receive any grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan

    Hiromichi Sonoda, Takeshi Yamada, Akihisa Matsuda, Seiichi Shinji, Kazuhide Yonaga, Takuma Iwai, Kohki Takeda, Koji Ueda, Sho Kuriyama, Toshimitsu Miyasaka, Shintaro Kanaka & Hiroshi Yoshida

  2. Department of Gastrointestinal Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Nippon Medical School Musashikosugi Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Yasuyuki Yokoyama, Ryo Ohta & Nobuhiko Taniai

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  1. Hiromichi Sonoda
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Correspondence to Hiromichi Sonoda.

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Sonoda, H., Yamada, T., Matsuda, A. et al. The T-CEA score: a useful prognostic indicator based on postoperative CEA and pathological T4 levels for patients with stage II–III colorectal cancer. Surg Today 53, 890–898 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-023-02644-6

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