Value of brief hematological characteristics in differentiating carcinoembryonic-antigen-negative colorectal cancer from benign colorectal diseases

Table 1 Baseline characteristics between carcinoembryonic-antigen-negative colorectal cancer and benign colorectal diseases, n (%)

Characteristics	CEA-negative CRC	Benign colorectal diseases	P value
Number	74	79
Age (year), mean ± SD	59.39 ± 13.86	55.63 ± 12.13	0.076
Gender			0.409
Male	42 (56.76)	50 (63.29)
Female	32 (43.24)	29 (36.71)
Family history			0.066
Cancer	4 (5.41)	4 (5.06)
Others	1 (1.35)	8 (10.13)
Habit
Smokers	11 (14.86)	17 (21.52)	0.271
Drinkers	14 (18.92)	23 (29.11)	0.129
Chronic medical history			0.245
Hypertensives	13 (17.57)	17 (21.52)
Others	27 (36.49)	19 (24.05)
Positive FOBT	42 (56.76)	16 (20.25)	< 0.001
TNM stage
I + II	34 (45.95)
III + IV	40 (54.05)
Tumor invasion (T stage)
T1 + T2	12 (16.22)
T3 + T4	62 (83.78)
Lymph node metastasis (N stage)
N0	35 (47.30)
N1 + N2	39 (52.70)
Distant metastasis (M stage)
M0	64 (86.49)
M1	10 (13.51)

FOBT: Fecal occult blood test; CEA: Carcinoembryonic antigen; CRC: Colorectal cancer.