The diagnostic and prognostic significance of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate associated antigen 19–9 (CA19–9), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) in early gastric cancer have not been investigated yet. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the diagnostic and prognostic significance of the four tumor markers for early gastric cancer. From September 2008 to March 2015, 587 early gastric cancer patients were given radical gastrectomy in our center. The clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. The association between levels of CEA and CA19–9 and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients were analyzed. There were 444 men (75.6%) and 143 women (24.4%). The median age was 57 years (ranged 21–85). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rate was 99.1%, 96.8% and 93.1%, respectively. The positive rate of CEA, CA19–9, AFP and CA125 was 4.3%, 4.8%, 1.5% and 1.9%, respectively. The positive rate of all markers combined was 10.4%. The associations between the clinicopathological features and levels of CEA and CA19–9 were analyzed. No significant association was found between CEA level and clinicopathological features. However, elevated CA19–9 level was correlated with female gender and presence of lymph node metastasis. Age > 60 years old, presence of lymph node metastasis and elevation of CEA level were independent risk factors for poor prognosis of early gastric cancer. The positive rates of CEA, CA19–9, APF and CA125 were relatively low for early gastric cancer. Elevation of CA19–9 level was associated with female gender and presence of lymph node metastasis. Elevation of CEA level was an independent risk factor for the poor prognosis of early gastric cancer.

Existing data about the prognostic value of absolute count of blood cells in gastric cancer was limited. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the prognostic value of absolute count of white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and platelet in gastric cancer patients. From September 2008 to March 2015, 3243 patients treated with radical gastrectomy were enrolled in the present study. Clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. The prognostic value of blood test in gastric cancer patients were analyzed. There were 2538 male and 705 female. The median age was 58 years (range 20–90). The median follow-up time was 24.9 months (range 1–75). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rate was 88.9%, 65.8% and 57.2%, respectively. The optimal cut off value was 6.19 × 109/L for WBC (P = 0.146), 4.19 × 109/L for neutrophil (P = 0.004), 1.72 × 109/L for lymphocyte (P = 0.000), 0.51 × 109/L for monocyte (P = 0.019) and 260.0 × 109/L for platelet (P = 0.002), respectively. Neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and platelet were risk factors for the prognosis of gastric cancer (all P < 0.05). However, only lymphocyte and monocyte were independent risk factors (both P < 0.05). Combination of lymphocyte and monocyte could increase the prognostic value for gastric cancer patients, especially in stage II/III gastric cancer patients. High absolute count of neutrophil, monocyte and platelet, and low absolute count of lymphocyte were associated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer. However, only lymphocyte and monocyte count were independent prognostic predictors. Combination of lymphocyte and monocyte count could further increase the predictive value for gastric cancer.

Up to date, investigation of the prognostic value of differentiation status mainly focused on signet ring cell and mucinous gastric cancer. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer patients with well, moderately and poorly differentiation status. From September 2008 to March 2015, a total of 3090 gastric cancer patients treated with radical D2 gastrectomy were enrolled in the present study. Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric cancer patients with well, moderately and poorly differentiation status were analyzed. There were 2422 male (78.4%) and 668 female (21.6%). The median age was 58 (20–90) years. There were 370 (12.0%) well differentiated tumors, 836 (27.0%) moderately differentiated tumors and 1884 (61.0%) poorly differentiated tumors. Well and moderately differentiation status were associated with older age, male gender, smaller tumor, shallower invasion, less lymph node involvement and earlier tumor stage (all p < 0.001). Inversely, poorly differentiation status was associated with younger age, female gender, larger tumor, deeper invasion, more lymph node involvement and later tumor stage (all p < 0.001). With respect to prognosis, well differentiation status was associated with favorable overall survival and poorly differentiation status was associated with unfavorable overall survival (p < 0.001). However, after matching with age, tumor size, T and N stage, there was no significant difference among the overall survival of the three groups (p = 0.415). Well, moderately and poorly differentiation status was significantly associated with clinicopathological features of gastric cancer patients. However, it was not associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

The clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients are both limited and controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to define the clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients after curative resection. From May 2008 to December 2014, 198 young patients (age ≤ 40 years) and 1096 middle-aged patients (55 ≤ age ≤ 64 years) were enrolled in this study. The clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in these patients were analyzed. Compared with middle-aged patients, the proportion of females, lower third tumors, tumor size less than 5 cm, poorly differentiated tumors and T1 tumors were significantly higher in young patients (all P < 0.05). The proportions of comorbidity, upper third tumors, well and moderately differentiated tumors, T4 tumors, and positive carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19–9 were significantly lower in young patients (all P < 0.05). The distributions of N status and CA125 were comparable between young and middle-aged patients (all P > 0.05). The five-year overall survival rates were comparable between young patients and middle-aged patients (62.8 vs 54.7 %, P = 0.307). The tumor location, T status, N status and CA125 were independent predictors of prognosis in young patients. The overall survival of patients with tumors located in the upper or middle third was significantly lower than for those located in the lower third (60.8 vs 50.6 % vs 68.4 %, P = 0.016). The overall survival of CA125-positive patients was significantly lower than CA125-negative patients (49.0 vs 64.4 %, P = 0.001). The clinicopathological features were significantly different between young and middle-aged patients. The prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients was equivalent to that of middle-aged patients. Tumor location, T status, N status and CA125 were independent risk factors for prognosis in young patients.

The association between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes of gastric cancer were still under debate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of BMI on intraoperative conditions, postoperative complications and prognosis of gastric cancer. From October 2008 to March 2015, 1210 gastric cancer patients treated with D2 gastrectomy were enrolled in the present study. Patients were divided into three groups: low BMI group (BMI < 18.5 Kg/m2), normal BMI group (18.5 Kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 25.0 Kg/m2) and high BMI group (BMI ≥ 25.0 Kg/m2). Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients were recorded and analyzed. Propensity score matching was used to match patients in the three groups. There were 107 patients in low BMI group (8.9%), 862 patients in normal BMI group (71.2%) and 241 patients in high BMI group (19.95%). Before matching, BMI was inversely associated with tumor size, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis (LNM) and tumor stage (all P < 0.05). After matching, the clinicopathological features were all comparable among the three groups (all P > 0.05). High BMI was associated with increased blood loss and operation time, and deceased number of retrieved lymph nodes (all P < 0.05). For postoperative complications, low BMI was associated with decreased rate of postoperative fever (P = 0.025). Age, BMI, tumor size, Borrmann type, pathological type, type of gastrectomy, tumor depth, LNM and tumor stage were risk factors for the prognosis of gastric cancer. Multivariate analysis showed that only BMI, tumor size, tumor depth and LNM were independent prognostic factors. The overall survival of patients with low BMI was significantly worse than patients with normal (P < 0.05) or high BMI (P < 0.05). However, the overall survival was comparable between patients with normal and high BMI (P > 0.05). BMI was inversely associated with tumor size, tumor depth, LNM and tumor stage. High BMI was associated with increased blood loss and operation time, and deceased number of retrieved lymph nodes. Low BMI was associated with decreased rate of postoperative fever and decreased survival.

Systemic inflammation and immune response were associated with prognosis of tumors. However, data was limited due to the relatively low incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive value of preoperative peripheral blood cells in prognosis of GISTs. From September 2008 to July 2015, a total of 274 GIST patients in our department were enrolled in the present study. Clinicopathological features of GISTs were recorded. The association between preoperative peripheral blood cells and prognosis of GISTs were analyzed. Tumor location, tumor size, mitotic index, intratumoral necrosis, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) risk category were associated with prognosis of GISTs. High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-white blood cell ratio (NWR), monocyte-to-white blood cell ratio (MWR) and low lymphocyte-to-white blood cell ratio (LWR) was associated with poor prognosis of GISTs (76.2% vs 83.7%, P = 0.010. 70.5% vs 98.7%, P = 0.000. 65.7% vs 96.4%, P = 0.004. 78.5% vs 82.5%, P = 0.044. 73.5% vs 97.8%, P = 0.004. 76.6% vs 83.6%, P = 0.012, respectively). However, tumor size was the only independent risk factor for prognosis according to multivariate analysis (P = 0.006). Tumor location, tumor size, mitotic index, and NIH risk category were significantly correlated with the above-mentioned parameters (all P < 0.05). The prognosis of GISTs with tumor size >5 cm, high MLR, high PLR, and high MWR was significantly lower than the remnant patients (P = 0.010). The peripheral blood routine test is convenient, reproducible, and inexpensive. High NLR, MLR, PLR, NWR, MWR, and low LWR were associated with poor prognosis of GISTs. The association between the above parameters and prognosis of GISTs may be attributed to their correlation with tumor size, mitotic index, and NIH risk category. The combination of tumor size, MLR, PLR, and MWR could further increase the predictive value of prognosis of GISTs.