Preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels in gastric cancer patients correlate with extent of tumor.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the preoperative plasma fibrinogen level and the extent of tumor involvement in gastric cancer patients.


METHODS
Preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels of 354 patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery were quantified using an immunoassay. The relationships between the plasma fibrinogen level and other prognostic variables (tumor size, macroscopic and histological type, depth of tumor invasion, presence of lymph node involvement and distant metastasis) were then examined using univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses.


RESULTS
The plasma fibrinogen level was significantly lower in patients with early gastric cancer than in those with advanced gastric cancer (312+/-6.7 vs. 361.9+/-97.0 mg/mL, p<0.001). A significant relationship existed between the preoperative fibrinogen levels and the presence of metastatic lymph nodes (320+/-78.6 vs. 352.6+/-94.1 mg/mL, p=0.001) and distant metastasis (338.2+/-89.5 vs. 396.9+/-128.3 mg/mL, p=0.013). Size of the tumors and depth of tumor invasion could predict elevated fibrinogen levels positively in both the univariate regression and multivariate linear regression analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that the plasma fibrinogen level is a clinically important and useful marker of the extent of tumor progression in gastric cancer.
Lee
Jun Ho
JH
Center for Gastric Cancer, Research Institute & Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
Ryu
Keun Won
KW
Kim
Sung
S
Bae
Jae Moon
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005340:Fibrinogen