Comparison of prognostic factors in different age groups and prognostic significance of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with gastric cancer

Table 2 Comparison of clinical characteristics between 716 younger patients (age < 70 yr) and 321 older patients (age > 70 yr) with gastric cancer

Characteristic	Younger group n (%)	Older group n (%)	P value
Sex			0.407
Male	497 (69.4%)	231 (72.0%)
Female	219 (30.6%)	90 (28.0%)
Hospitalization (d)			< 0.001
< 18	369 (51.5%)	125 (38.9%)
≥ 18	347 (48.5%)	196 (61.6%)
TNM stage			0.003
I-II	331 (46.2%)	117 (36.4%)
III-IV	385 (53.8%)	204 (63.6%)
T stage			< 0.001
1-2	240 (33.5%)	73 (22.7%)
3-4	476 (66.5%)	248 (77.3%)
N stage			0.021
0	288 (40.2%)	105 (32.7%)
1-3	428 (59.8%)	216 (67.3%)
M stage			0.343
0	657 (91.8%)	300 (93.5%)
1	59 (8.2%)	21 (6.5%)
Tumor size (cm)			< 0.001
< 4	318 (44.4%)	87 (27.1%)
≥ 4	398 (55.6%)	234 (72.9%)
Tumor location			0.059
Cardia	127 (17.7%)	73 (22.7%)
Non-cardia	589 (82.3%)	248 (77.3%)
Histological type			0.001
Intestinal type	359 (50.1%)	196 (61.1%)
Diffuse type	357 (49.9%)	125 (38.9%)
Neural invasion			0.358
No	562 (78.5%)	260 (81%)
Yes	154 (21.5%)	61 (19%)
Vessel invasion			0.719
No	530 (74%)	241 (75.1%)
Yes	186 (26%)	80 (24.9%)
Esophageal invasion			0.855
No	656 (91.6%)	293 (91.3%)
Yes	60 (8.4%)	28 (8.7%)
NLR			0.003
< 2.6	459 (64.1%)	175 (54.5%)
≥ 2.6	257 (35.9%)	146 (45.5%)
Anemia			< 0.001
No	499 (69.7%)	131 (40.8%)
Yes	217 (30.3%)	190 (59.2%)
PLR			0.003
< 133	358 (50%)	128 (39.9%)
≥ 133	358 (50%)	193 (60.1%)
Low albumin			< 0.001
No	650 (90.8%)	222 (69.2%)
Yes	66 (9.2%)	99 (30.8%)
Low pre-albumin			< 0.001
No	534 (74.6%)	149 (46.4%)
Yes	182 (25.4%)	172 (53.6%)
PNI			< 0.001
< 47	191 (26.7%)	196 (61.1%)
≥ 47	525 (73.3%)	125 (38.9%)

TNM: Tumor–node–metastasis; NLR: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio; PLR: Platelet lymphocyte ratio; PNI: Prognostic nutritional index.