title: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and cancer mortality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an important inflammatory marker, and inflammation is known to be involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. We investigated the association between serum hs-CRP levels and all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and site-specific cancer mortality in apparently cancer-free Koreans.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 33,567 participants who underwent routine check-ups at a single tertiary hospital health-screening center between May 1995 and December 2006, and whose serum hs-CRP level data were available, were included in the study. Baseline serum hs-CRP levels were obtained and subjects were followed up for mortality from baseline examination until December 31, 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During an average follow-up of 9.4 years, 1,054 deaths, including 506 cancer deaths, were recorded. The adjusted HRs (aHR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) of subjects with hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L for all-cause and cancer-related mortality were 1.38 (1.15-1.66) and 1.61 (1.25-2.07) in men, and 1.29 (0.94-1.77) and 1.24 (0.75-2.06) in women, respectively, compared with subjects with hs-CRP ≤1 mg/L. Elevated hs-CRP was also associated with an increased risk of site-specific mortality from lung cancer for sexes combined (2.53 [1.57-4.06]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that elevated levels of hs-CRP in apparently cancer-free individuals may be associated with increased mortality from all-causes and cancer, in particular, lung cancer in men, but not in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a marker for chronic inflammation, hs-CRP assists in the identification of subjects with an increased risk of cancer death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Center for Health Promotion, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Kyae Hyung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ho-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: So Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Hyung-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Eurah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Belong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Minseon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein