Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Competing-Risk Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival in Multiple Primary Colorectal Cancer Patients after Surgery
Published on: September 27, 2024
C-reactive protein as predictor of recurrence in patients with rectal cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy followed by
Yuji Toiyama1, Yasuhiro Inoue, Susumu Saigusa
1Department of Gastrointestinal and Pediatric Surgery, Division of Reparative Medicine, Institute of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Mie 514-8507, Japan. ytoi0725@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp.
Background:
The clinical significance of the systemic inflammatory response (SIR) in patients with rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), to the best of our knowledge, has not been thus far investigated.
Patients And Methods:
The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and C-Reactive protein (CRP) levels for 84 patients with rectal cancer undergoing CRT were available as indicators of SIR status. The impact of SIR status on the prognosis of these patients was assessed.
Results:
Elevated NLR, CRP, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and pathological TNM stage III [ypN(+)] were identified as significant prognostic factors for poor overall survival (OS), with CRP and ypN(+) being validated as independent predictors of OS. Elevated CRP and CEA levels were significant predictive factors for poor disease-free survival (DFS), and an elevated CRP level was identified as the only independent predictive factor for DFS. In addition, an elevated CRP level predicted for poorer OS and DFS in patients with pathological TNM stage I-II [ypN(-)].
Conclusion:
CRP is a promising predictor of recurrence and prognosis in patients with rectal cancer treated by CRT.

