High preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels are associated with distant metastases and impaired prognosis after curative resection in patients with colorectal cancer

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels on clinicopathologic parameters and overall survival in patients after curative resection with colorectal cancer. Methods Preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels were examined in 341 patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer. Preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels were correlated with clinicopathologic findings and disease-specific overall survival. Results Mean (±SD) preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels were 369.9 mg/dl (±69.1 mg/dl). Elevated plasma fibrinogen levels were associated with advanced tumor stage (P = 0.008), venous invasion (P = 0.006), and postoperative distant metastases (P < 0.001), but not with histologic grade (P = 0.232), invasion depth (P = 0.253), and lymph node involvement (P = 0.136). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels (P = 0.029), histologic grade (P = 0.001), and lymph node involvement (P = 0.001) were defined as independent prognostic factors. Conclusions High preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels are associated with distant metastases and impaired prognosis after curative resection in patients with colorectal cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010;102:428–432. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.