Abstract
BACKGROUND: The number of older patients with cancer has increased, and colorectal cancer is expected to be affected by this trend. This study aimed to compare prognostic factors, including nutritional and inflammation-based indices, between patients aged ≥ 70 and < 70 years following curative resection of stage I-III colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 560 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer who underwent curative resection between May 2010 and June 2018. A retrospective analysis was performed to identify prognosis-associated variables in patients aged ≥ 70 and < 70 years. RESULTS: Preoperative low body mass index, high C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, and comorbidities were mainly associated with poor prognosis in patients aged ≥ 70 years. Tumor factors were associated with a poor prognosis in patients aged < 70 years. The C-reactive protein/albumin ratio was independently associated with poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival in those aged ≥ 70 years. The time-dependent area under the curve for the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio was superior to those of other nutritional and inflammation-based indices in most postoperative observation periods in patients aged ≥ 70 years. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor factors were associated with a poor prognosis in patients aged < 70 years. In addition to lymph node metastasis, preoperative statuses were associated with poor prognosis in patients aged ≥ 70 years. Specifically, the preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio was independently associated with long-term prognosis in patients aged ≥ 70 years with stage I-III colorectal cancer after curative resection.