p-STAT3 expression associates with prognosis and inflammatory indexes in gastric cancer patients

Despite advances in early detection and treatment, the prognosis for advanced gastric cancer (GC) remains poor, highlighting the need to explore molecular mechanisms driving tumor progression. Phosphorylated Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (p-STAT3) is a central mediator in these processes, but its role in GC biology and prognostic significance remains controversial. We analyzed p-STAT3 expression in tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 68 GC patients using immunohistochemistry and evaluated associations with inflammatory markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), tumor characteristics, and survival outcomes. p-STAT3 positivity was significantly higher in GC tissues (32.4%) than in normal tissues (13.2%, p = 0.008). Positive p-STAT3 expression correlated with elevated NLR (p = 0.014) and PLR (p = 0.041). Although tumor stage, size, and lymph node metastasis did not show significant differences in p-STAT3 expression (p > 0.05), multivariate analysis identified p-STAT3 as an independent predictor of poor survival (HR = 5.711, 95% CI 1.180-27.643; p = 0.030). p-STAT3-positive patients had significantly worse cumulative survival rates (47.4%) compared to p-STAT3-negative patients (92.7%, p = 0.001). These results indicate that p-STAT3 overexpression is linked to systemic inflammation and poor prognosis, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target in GC management.