Preoperative alkaline phosphatase elevation was associated with poor survival in colorectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE

Purpose To assess preoperative serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in colon adenocarcinomapatients with various clinical features and determine its prognostic value.

METHODS

Between 2000 and 2013, 10,800 stage I-IV colon cancer patients who underwent surgery wereretrospectively enrolled. The relationship between ALP level and variables, including age, gender,carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) levels, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level, bilirubin level, tumor size,liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, albumin level, histological type, and TNM-stage, were evaluated. The impact of ALP level elevation on survival was evaluated.

RESULTS

Significant elevations in ALP level were found in patients with CEA ≥5 ng/ml (p<0.001); AST |≥43 U/L (p<0.001); total bilirubin ≥1.5 U/L (p<0.001); liver cirrhosis (p<0.001); albumin; <3.5g/dL (p <0.001); and stage IV disease (p=0.03).Patients with elevated ALP levels had significantly worse 5-year overall survival (OS) for colon (5-year OSrate: 71.5% vs. 78.3%, p<0.001; Fig. 1a) and rectal (5-year OS rate: 64.5% vs. 72.3%, p<0.001; Fig. 1b)cancer than patients with normal ALP levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated preoperative ALP levels was not only associated with liver disease, but it was alsorelated with advanced tumor status, and indicated a poor survival in colon and rectal cancer patients.