Table 2.

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 Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Esophagus (ESCC)

Variable tested		CRP (mg/l)			CEA (ng/ml)			SCC‐Ag (ng/ml)
		Median	Range	P‐value	Median	Range	P‐value	Median	Range	P
Group tested	ESCC (n = 30)	14.7A	5.0–149.5	<0.001*	2.4A	0.4–8.5	<0.001*	1.5A	0.6–34.5	<0.001*
	Control group (n = 90)	5.0	0.1–13.9		0.8	0.1–11.4		1.0	0.6–4.0
TNM stage	I + IIa + IIb (n = 10)	5.6** A	5.0–64.9	0.014*	1.7** A	0.4–3.3	0.011*	1.3** , ***	0.8–4.3	0.006*
	III (n = 14)	20.5A	5.0–134.8		2.9A	1.5–8.5		1.5** A	0.6–8.2
	IV (n = 6)	42.2A	21.2–149.5		4.2A	1.7–7.3		15.3A	1.5–34.5
Depth of tumor invasion (T factor)	T1 + T2 (n = 6)	5.6A	5.0–37.2	0.226	1.6	0.4–5.0	0.214	1.4	0.9–24.4	0.726
	T3 (n = 12)	30.7A	5.0–79.9		2.4A	0.9–7.2		1.4A	0.8–34.5
	T4 (n = 12)	17.1A	5.0–149.5		2.9A	1.5–8.5		1.6A	0.6–19.6
Nodal involvement (N factor)	N0 (n = 10)	5.0A	5.0–64.9	0.006*	1.9A	0.4–3.3	0.009*	1.2	0.8–4.3	0.050*
	N1 (n = 20)	29.0A	5.0–149.5		3.1A	1.4–8.5		1.7A	0.6–34.5
Distant metastases (M factor)	M0 (n = 24)	7.7A	5.0–134.8	0.014*	2.3A	0.4–8.5	0.087	1.5A	0.6–8.2	0.001*
	M1 (n = 6)	42.2A	21.2–149.5		4.2A	1.7–7.3		15.3A	1.5–34.5
Differentiation of tumor	G1 (n = 6)	8.4A	5.0–79.9	0.858	2.1A	0.5–3.1	0.418	1.2	0.9–2.5	0.234
	G2 (n = 13)	13.0A	5.0–149.5		2.5A	0.9–8.5		1.9A	1.0–19.6
	G3 (n = 9)	21.2A	5.0–75.5		2.5A	0.4–7.3		1.5A	0.6–34.5
Survival of patients	Alive (n = 12)	5.4A	5.0–79.9	0.040*	2.4A	0.4–8.5	0.595	1.3A	0.8–4.3	0.075
	Died of cancer (n = 18)	24.1A	5.0–149.5		2.4A	1.4–7.3		1.8A	0.6–34.5

^*Statistically significant when P < 0.05.

^**Statistically significant in comparison with stage IV post hoc Dwass‐Steel‐Critchlow‐Fligner test.

^***Statistically significant in comparison with stage III post hoc Dwass‐Steel‐Critchlow‐Fligner test.

^aStatistically significant in comparison with control group.