Background/aim: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been associated with the development of many carcinomas, but the significance of CRP remains unclear for metastatic gastric cancer (MGC).
Patients and methods: Sixty one patients who received S-1 plus cisplatin for MGC were retrospectively identified and categorized into two groups depending on the serum CRP level before chemotherapy.
Results: Overall survival was significantly shorter in the CRP≥1.0 group than in the CRP<1.0 group (median, 292 days versus 451 days; p=0.0004). Moreover, progression-free survival was significantly shorter in the CRP≥1.0 group than in the CRP<1.0 group (median, 115 days versus 188 days; p=0.0010). In a multivariate analysis, serum CRP level before chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor for MGC (hazard ratio 4.20 [95% CI, 1.66 to 10.64] p=0.002).
Conclusion: Serum CRP level before chemotherapy might be a potential prognostic factor for MGC.