- Baseline characteristics of the patients (N=232).
| Variables | Elevated NPS group (n=105) | Non-elevated NPS group (n=127) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | ||
| Age (year), median (±SD) | 61.6 ± 7.5 | 62.1 ± 7.7 | 0.606 |
| BMI, median (±SD) | |||
| Before NAT | 22.6 ± 3.2 | 22.3 ± 2.9 | 0.414 |
| Before surgery | 22.5 ± 3.3 | 22.5 ± 3.0 | 0.947 |
| Gender | 0.125 | ||
| Male | 84 (80.0) | 111 (87.4) | |
| Female | 21(20.0) | 16 (12.6) | |
| Tumor type | NA | ||
| SCC | 105 (100) | 127 (100) | |
| Tumor location | 0.458 | ||
| Upper | 12 (11.4) | 9 (7.1) | |
| Middle | 66 (62.9) | 80 (63.0) | |
| Lower | 27 (25.7) | 38 (29.9) | |
| Tumor length | 0.819 | ||
| >3 cm | 27 (25.7) | 31 (24.4) | |
| ≤3 cm | 78 (74.3) | 96 (75.6) | |
| ypTNM stage | 0.864 | ||
| I | 59 (56.2) | 68 (53.5) | |
| II | 12 (11.4) | 17 (13.4) | |
| III | 29 (27.6) | 38 (29.9) | |
| IV | 5 (4.8) | 4 (3.1) | |
| cTNM stage | 0.211 | ||
| II | 19 (18.1) | 13 (10.2) | |
| III | 66 (62.9) | 85 (66.9) | |
| IV | 20 (19.0) | 29 (22.8) | |
| Tumor regression score | 0.386 | ||
| 0 | 46 (43.8) | 53 (41.7) | |
| 1 | 12 (11.4) | 23 (18.1) | |
| 2 | 42 (40.0) | 42* (33.1) | |
| 3 | 5 (4.8) | 9 (7.1) | |
| pCR | 41 (39.0) | 50 (39.4) | 0.960 |
| Number of days in hospital, median (IQR), days | 15 (13-17) | 14 (13-15) | 0.671 |
| Time between NACR and surgery, median (IQR), days | 70 (63-81) | 68 (60-87) | 0.230 |
BMI: body mass index, IQR: interquartile range, LOS: length of stay, NAT: neoadjuvant therapy, pCR: pathological complete regression, SD: standard deviation, SCC: Squamous cell carcinoma