Prognostic value of postoperative CEA/CA19-9 positivity and elevation relative to preoperative levels in gastric cancer

Table 3 Univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses for disease-free survival of patients with gastric cancer

Variables	Univariate analysis		Multivariable analysis
	HR (95%CI)	P value	HR (95%CI)	P value
Sex
Male	Reference		Reference
Female	1.12 (0.86-1.44)	0.406	1.03 (0.78-1.35)	0.842
Age, years
< 60	Reference		Reference
≥ 60	1.28 (1.00-1.64)	0.053	1.18 (0.92-1.53)	0.190
Clinical stage
I, II	Reference
III	3.48 (2.59-4.67)	< 0.001
T stage
T1, T2	Reference		Reference
T3	2.78 (1.62-4.79)	< 0.001	2.30 (1.22-4.31)	0.010
T4	4.94 (3.05-8.01)	< 0.001	3.59 (2.00-6.43)	< 0.001
N stage
N0, N1	Reference		Reference
N2	2.41 (1.76-3.32)	< 0.001	1.74 (1.25-2.42)	< 0.001
N3	3.86 (2.87-5.21)	< 0.001	1.59 (1.14-2.22)	0.006
Differentiation
Moderate, good	Reference		Reference
Poor	1.74 (1.36-2.24)	< 0.001	1.18 (0.90-1.56)	0.222
Vascular invasion
Negative	Reference		Reference
Positive	2.20 (1.71-2.83)	< 0.001	1.39 (1.07-1.82)	0.015
CEA elevation
No	Reference		Reference
Yes	3.58 (2.80-4.57)	< 0.001	2.37 (1.80-3.13)	< 0.001
CA19-9 elevation
No	Reference		Reference
Yes	2.71 (2.11-3.46)	< 0.001	2.33 (1.81-3.00)	< 0.001

CEA: Carcinoembryonic antigen; CA19-9: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9; HR: Hazard ratio; CI: Confidence interval.