Table 2.

Summary of independent prognostic factors in multivariate analyses in the 1572 patients with NPC.

Endpoints	Variables	HR (95% CI)	P-value a
OS	Age	1.755(1.270-2.425)	0.001
	CRP/Alb ratio	1.394(1.004-1.937)	0.048
	T classification b		< 0.001
	T1	Reference
	T2	3.095(1.313-7.297)	0.010
	T3	3.077(1.404-6.742)	0.005
	T4	6.136(2.765-13.619)	< 0.001
	N classification b		< 0.001
	N0	Reference
	N1	1.723 (0.886-3.352)	0.109
	N2	2.876 (1.404-5.889)	0.004
	N3a	5.919 (2.307-15.187)	< 0.001
	N3b	7.107 (3.452-14.630)	< 0.001
DMFS	CRP/Alb ratio	1.545(1.124-2.122)	0.007
	T classification b		0.018
	T1	Reference
	T2	1.295(0.697-2.406)	0.412
	T3	1.229(0.728-2.074)	0.436
	T4	2.055(1.178-3.583)	0.011
	N classification b		< 0.001
	N0	Reference
	N1	2.047(1.054-3.979)	0.035
	N2	4.123(2.045-8.315)	< 0.001
	N3a	7.437(2.977-18.579)	< 0.001
	N3b	7.195(3.479-14.883)	< 0.001
DFS	Age	1.302(1.023-1.657)	0.032
	CRP/Alb ratio	1.235(0.973-1.568)	0.083
	T classification b		0.001
	T1	Reference
	T2 vs T1	1.445(0.910-2.294)	0.118
	T3 vs T1	1.331(0.899-1.972)	0.154
	T4 vs T1	2.164(1.423-3.292)	< 0.001
	N classification b		< 0.001
	N0	Reference
	N1	1.948(1.241-3.059)	0.004
	N2	2.926(1.785-4.798)	< 0.001
	N3a	4.207(1.971-8.978)	< 0.001
	N3b	4.985(2.952-8.420)	< 0.001

Abbreviations: HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval; OS, overall survival; DMFS, distant metastasis-free survival; DFS, disease-free survival.

^a P values were calculated with an adjusted Cox proportional hazards model.

^b According to the 7th edition of the UICC/AJCC staging system.