eTable 2. Parameters investigated and their prognostic effect on overall survival*.
| Parameter | N | Level | Reference | Hazard ratio | 95% confidence interval | p-value | Adjusted p-value | |
| Sex | 223 | Female | Male | 0.70 | 0.50 | 0.97 | 0.0321 | 0.1091 |
| ECOG at first diagnosis | 186 | 1 | 0 | 1.42 | 0.79 | 2.53 | 0.2376 | 0.4303 |
| 2 | 0 | 2.70 | 1.41 | 5.16 | 0.0028 | 0.0286 | ||
| 3 | 0 | 4.74 | 2.17 | 10.34 | <0.0001 | 0.0016 | ||
| ECOG at first diagnosis (grouped) | 186 | 2/3 | 0/1 | 2.36 | 1.58 | 3.51 | <0.0001 | 0.0006 |
| Age (regarded as a quantitative variable) | 223 | 1.01 | 0.99 | 1.02 | 0.4525 | 0.6237 | ||
| Supradiaphragmatic lymph nodes | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 0.96 | 0.68 | 1.35 | 0.8159 | 0.8668 |
| Infradiaphragmatic lymph nodes | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 1.25 | 0.86 | 1.81 | 0.2447 | 0.4303 |
| Lung metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 1.59 | 1.11 | 2.28 | 0.0121 | 0.0726 |
| Bone metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 1.42 | 0.99 | 2.04 | 0.0534 | 0.1562 |
| Liver metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 1.52 | 1.09 | 2.13 | 0.0142 | 0.0726 |
| Brain metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 1.33 | 0.67 | 2.62 | 0.4128 | 0.5848 |
| Pleural metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 0.95 | 0.51 | 1.76 | 0.8627 | 0.8979 |
| Peritoneal metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 0.87 | 0.54 | 1.41 | 0.5731 | 0.6798 |
| Adrenal metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 2.69 | 1.17 | 6.22 | 0.0202 | 0.0912 |
| Skin metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 1.35 | 0.50 | 3.66 | 0.5590 | 0.6788 |
| Other metastases | 223 | Involved | Not involved | 1.32 | 0.74 | 2.33 | 0.3458 | 0.5186 |
| Number of organ systems affected | 223 | 2 | 1 | 1.34 | 0.92 | 1.95 | 0.1316 | 0.3195 |
| 3 | 1 | 3.20 | 1.98 | 5.18 | <0.0001 | 0.0001 | ||
| 4–5 | 1 | 1.86 | 0.92 | 3.75 | 0.0826 | 0.2216 | ||
| Number of organ systems affected (grouped) | 223 | 2–5 | 1 | 1.68 | 1.21 | 2.34 | 0.0021 | 0.0269 |
| Histological type | 223 | Undifferentiated | Adenocarcinoma | 1.07 | 0.71 | 1.60 | 0.7590 | 0.8415 |
| CEA (serum, regarded as a quantitative variable) | 100 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.01 | 0.0215 | 0.0912 | ||
| CA19–9 (serum, regarded as a quantitative variable) | 89 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.0038 | 0.0324 | ||
| NSE (serum, regarded as a quantitative variable) | 35 | 1.35 | 0.92 | 1.99 | 0.1201 | 0.3063 | ||
| CA 125 (serum, regarded as a quantitative variable) | 46 | 1.00 | 0.99 | 1.01 | 0.9878 | 0.9878 | ||
| CA 15–3 (serum, regarded as a quantitative variable) | 34 | 1.02 | 0.89 | 1.17 | 0.7798 | 0.8461 | ||
| AFP (serum, regarded as a quantitative variable) | 41 | 1.00 | 0.97 | 1.03 | 0.9610 | 0.9802 | ||
| CA 72–4 (serum, regarded as a quantitative variable) | 17 | 1.01 | 1.00 | 1.02 | 0.0551 | 0.1562 | ||
| CEA (serum, raised vs. normal) | 100 | Raised | Normal | 1.73 | 1.05 | 2.85 | 0.0309 | 0.1091 |
| CA 19–9 (serum, raised vs. normal) | 89 | Raised | Normal | 2.20 | 1.28 | 3.77 | 0.0045 | 0.0324 |
| NSE (serum, raised vs. normal) | 35 | Raised | Normal | 1.48 | 0.48 | 4.53 | 0.4918 | 0.6600 |
| CA 125 (serum, raised vs. normal) | 46 | Raised | Normal | 1.61 | 0.65 | 4.02 | 0.3063 | 0.4882 |
| CA 15–3 (serum, raised vs. normal) | 34 | Raised | Normal | 1.22 | 0.47 | 3.16 | 0.6855 | 0.7769 |
| AFP (serum, raised vs. normal) | 41 | Raised | Normal | 1.25 | 0.46 | 3.37 | 0.6583 | 0.7630 |
| CA 72–4 (serum, raised vs. normal) | 17 | Raised | Normal | 1.83 | 0.47 | 7.11 | 0.3856 | 0.5618 |
| CK5/6 (immunohistochemistry) | 48 | Positive | Negative | 1.83 | 0.78 | 4.30 | 0.1645 | 0.3427 |
| CK7 (immunohistochemistry) | 161 | Positive | Negative | 1.17 | 0.70 | 1.95 | 0.5507 | 0.6788 |
| CK19 (immunohistochemistry) | 23 | Positive | Negative | 4.16 | 0.55 | 31.59 | 0.1680 | 0.3427 |
| CK20 (immunohistochemistry) | 144 | Positive | Negative | 0.87 | 0.55 | 1.37 | 0.5381 | 0.6788 |
| CA19.9 (immunohistochemistry) | 38 | Positive | Negative | 0.65 | 0.30 | 1.37 | 0.2558 | 0.4349 |
| CEA (immunohistochemistry) | 29 | Positive | Negative | 2.23 | 0.76 | 6.60 | 0.1462 | 0.3389 |
| CDX2 (immunohistochemistry) | 76 | Positive | Negative | 0.60 | 0.25 | 1.40 | 0.2359 | 0.4303 |
| TTF-1 (immunohistochemistry) | 139 | Positive | Negative | 0.81 | 0.41 | 1.62 | 0.5491 | 0.6788 |
| CA 125 (immunohistochemistry) | 19 | Positive | Negative | 1.77 | 0.55 | 5.71 | 0.3420 | 0.5186 |
| Therapies, grouped | 223 | Surgery | Chemo | 0.36 | 0.13 | 0.99 | 0.0475 | 0.1514 |
| Surgery + radiation | Chemo | 0.53 | 0.17 | 1.67 | 0.2752 | 0.4528 | ||
| Other | Chemo | 1.63 | 1.11 | 2.39 | 0.0136 | 0.0726 | ||
| Radiation | Chemo | 0.62 | 0.29 | 1.35 | 0.2285 | 0.4303 | ||
| Cytostatic therapies, grouped | 83 | Cis+gem | Carbo+taxol | 2.10 | 1.07 | 4.11 | 0.0303 | 0.1091 |
| Gem mono. | Carbo+taxol | 1.61 | 0.83 | 3.12 | 0.1597 | 0.3427 | ||
*Univariate Cox model (proportional hazards model) with adjusted p-values for multiple comparisons. All parameters refer to the time of first diagnosis. Abbreviations and explanations: N, number of patients studied for the parameter in question; level, value of parameter for which the risk is shown; reference, value of parameter used for comparison; ECOG, ECOG score (measure of general physical performance originated by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, see main text) at time of first diagnosis; surgery, radical resection alone as first-line therapy; chemo, cytostatic therapy alone as first-line therapy; surgery + radiation, radical resection combined with radiation as first-line therapy; other, first-line therapy unknown or not surgery, radiation, or cytostatic therapy; radiation, radiation with or without cytostatic therapy (but without surgery) as first-line therapy; cis+gem, cisplatin+gemcitabine as first-line therapy; carbo+taxol, carboplatin+paclitaxel as first-line therapy; gem mono., gemcitabine monotherapy as first-line therapy.