RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 High preoperative serum ferritin predicted poor prognosis in non-metastatic colorectal cancer JF Saudi Medical Journal JO Saudi Med J FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City SP 268 OP 275 DO 10.15537/smj.2017.3.16110 VO 38 IS 3 A1 Tingting, Hong A1 Di, Shen A1 Xiaoping, Chen A1 Xiaohong, Wu A1 Dong, Hua YR 2017 UL http://smj.org.sa/content/38/3/268.abstract AB Objectives: To validate the prognostic significance of preoperative serum iron metabolism parameters in non-metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with curative resection.Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in the Department of Surgical Oncology, WuXi 4th People’s Hospital, WuxiChina, between March 2010 and September 2013. The relationships of serum iron metabolism parameters with other variables were examined. The prognostic significance was evaluated using the Kaplan Meier curve and Cox proportional hazards regression model.Results: Five hundred and fourteen patients were eligible for analysis. The levels of the 3 iron metabolism parameters were interdependent. Hemoglobin level was positively correlated with serum iron and transferrin, and was negatively correlated with ferritin. Compared with peri-neural invasion (PNI)-negative patients, PNI-positive patients had higher serum iron (p=0.03) and ferritin levels (p=0.01). Compared with patients with the lowest quartile level of ferritin, patients with the highest quartile level of ferritin had a 2.21 (95% CI: 1.18-4.14) fold increased mortality risk in the univariate and 2.56 (95% CI: 1.10-5.96) in the multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. When stratified by TNM stages, it was only in stage III patients that serum ferritin remained statistically prognostically significant.Conclusions: Preoperative serum ferritin appeared as an independent adverse risk factor in non-metastatic colorectal cancer.