Prognostic value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen combined with nutritional status control score in patients with colorectal cancer*

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigate the prognostic value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods We retrospectively studied 261 patients with colorectal cancer in our hospital. The patients were divided into two groups by CONUT = 3 and CEA = 5 ng/mL, and the effects of CONUT score and CEA level on the prognosis and clinicopathological parameters were statistically analyzed. Results (1) Different CONUT scores were significantly correlated with age, tumor diameter, differentiation type, and T stage (P < 0.05). The older the patient was, the larger the tumor diameter, undifferentiated tumor, and T stage were, the higher the CONUT score was. (2) Seventy-five patients died during the follow-up period, and 45 patients died of progression or recurrence of colorectal cancer. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the low CONUT score group was significantly higher than that of the high CONUT score group, and the 5-year OS rate of the low CEA group was significantly higher than that of the high CEA group; the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). (3) According to the serum CEA level and CONUT score, the 5-year survival rates of CEAlow/CONUTlow, CEAlow/CONUThigh, CEAhigh/CONUTlow, and CEAhigh/CONUThigh were 84.7%, 69%, 55.3%, and 36.1% respectively, with statistical significance (P <0.01). (4) The Cox multivariate analysis showed that age, CONUT score, CEA combined with CONUT score, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis were independent risk factors for the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. Conclusion: The combination of CEA detection and CONUT score can more accurately judge the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.