Table 1.

The Concentrations of C‐Reactive Protein (CRP) and Classic Tumor Markers (Carcinoembryonic Antigen—CEA and Squamous Cell Cancer Antigen—SCC‐Ag) in the Sera of Esophageal Cancer Patients (EC)

		CRP (mg/l)			CEA (ng/ml)			SCC‐Ag (ng/ml)
		Median	Range	P‐value	Median	Range	P‐value	Median	Range	P
Group tested	Esophageal cancer (n = 53)	10.7A	5.0–149.5	<0.001*	2.5A	0.4–40.4	<0.001*	1.3A	0.4–34.5	0.015*
	Control group (n = 90)	5.0	0.1–13.9		0.8	0.1–11.4		1.0	0.6–4.0
Type of cancer	Adenocarcinoma (n = 23)	6.2A	5.0–45.5	0.112	2.5A	0.4–40.4	0.865	0.9	0.4–4.5	<0.001*
	Planoepitheliale (n = 30)	14.7A	5.0–149.5		2.4A	0.4–8.5		1.5A	0.6–34.5
TNM stage	I + IIa + IIb (n = 13)	5.0A	5.0–64.9	0.064	1.8**, A	0.4–3.3	0.026*	1.0	0.8–4.3	0.264
	III (n = 30)	10.1A	5.0–134.8		2.9A	0.4–40.4		1.3	0.4–8.2
	IV (n = 10)	32.1A	5.0–149.5		2.8A	0.4–7.8		5.3A	0.5–34.5
Depth of tumor invasion (T factor)	T1 + T2 (n = 9)	5.0A	5.0–45.5	0.295	1.8	0.4–5.0	0.163	1.0	0.9–24.4	0.998
	T3 (n = 27)	9.4A	5.0–79.9		2.5A	0.8–40.4		1.2	0.4–34.5
	T4 (n = 17)	20.9A	5.0–149.5		3.1A	0.4–23.8		1.5	0.5–19.6
Nodal involvement (N factor)	N0 (n = 13)	5.0A	5.0–64.9	0.043*	1.9A	0.4–3.3	0.017*	1.0	0.8–4.3	0.702
	N1 (n = 40)	14.3A	5.0–149.5		2.9A	0.4–40.4		1.3A	0.4–34.5
Distant metastases (M factor)	M0 (n = 43)	6.6A	5.0–134.8	0.039*	2.5A	0.4–40.4	0.918	1.2	0.4–8.2	0.111
	M1 (n = 10)	32.1A	5.0–149.5		2.8A	0.4–7.8		5.3A	0.5–34.5
Differentiation of tumor	G1 (n = 10)	7.7A	5.0–79.9	0.477	2.1A	0.5–7.8	0.523	1.2	0.9–4.5	0.507
	G2 (n = 25)	6.6A	5.0–149.5		2.6A	0.5–40.4		1.4	0.4–19.6
	G3 (n = 16)	22.1A	5.0–75.5		2.4A	0.4–23.8		1.1	0.5–34.5
Survival of patients	Alive (n = 27)	5.0A	5.0–79.9	0.009*	2.5A	0.4–40.4	0.728	1.2	0.4–4.3	0.127
	Died of cancer (n = 26)	21.1A	5.0–149.5		2.2A	0.4–23.8		1.5A	0.5–34.5

^*Statistically significant when P < 0.05.

^**Statistically significant in post hoc Dwass‐Steel‐Critchlow‐Fligner test in comparison with stage III (P = 0.019).

^aStatistically significant in comparison with control group.