Table 1 Characteristics of colorectal cancer patients by C-reactive protein (CRP) quintiles

N

248

245

249

247

246

CRP Quintile ranges, mg/L

0.20–0.73

0.74–1.81

1.82–3.31

3.32–5.57

≥ 5.58

CRP, mg/L, median (Q25, Q75)

0.34 (0.20, 0.47)

1.19 (0.95, 1.45)

2.53 (2.16, 2.87)

4.21 (3.65, 4.87)

8.86 ( 6.82–13.02)

Female sex, n (%)

131 (52.8)

111 (45.3)

113 (45.4)

133 (53.8)

138 (56.1)

Age at diagnosis, years, mean (SD)

61.0 (7.4)

62.3 (7.4)

62.4 (7.1)

63.3 (7.0)

63.1 (7.3)

Current smoking, n (%)

74 (29.8)

52 (21.2)

61 (24.5)

67 (27.1)

58 (23.6)

Physical activity (MET-hours/week), mean (SD)

83.6 (52.7)

85.7 (55.5)

81.7 (50.1)

85.2 (51.7)

86.5 (54.9)

Body mass index, kg/m², mean (SD)

24.5 (3.4)

26.0 (3.6)

26.7 (3.8)

27.4 (4.1)

28.9 (5.3)

Waist circumference, cm, mean (SD)

84.1 (11.9)

88.9 (12.6)

90.8 (11.9)

92.3 (12.5)

95.9 (13.8)

Diabetes, n (%)

12 ( 5.0)

14 ( 5.9)

17 ( 6.9)

36 (14.7)

44 (18.6)

Family history of CRC, n (%)

6 ( 9.7)

4 ( 6.7)

4 ( 7.1)

6 ( 8.8)

7 (10.3)

Location of primary tumor, n (%)

  Colon

152 (61.3)

139 (56.7)

148 (59.4)

160 (64.8)

181 (73.6)

  Rectum

96 (38.7)

106 (43.3)

101 (40.6)

87 (35.2)

65 (26.4)

Grade of differentiation, n (%)

  Well differentiated

16 (6.5)

11 (4.5)

15 (6.0)

15 (6.1)

14 (5.7)

  Moderately differentiated

66 (26.6)

65 (26.5)

73 (29.3)

81 (32.8)

74 (30.1)

  Poorly differentiated

14 (5.6)

21 (8.6)

17 (6.8)

9 (3.6)

20 (8.1)

  Unknown

152 (61.3)

148 (60.4)

144 (57.8)

142 (57.5)

138 (56.1)

Stage, n (%)

  I

73 (29.4)

66 (26.9)

64 (25.7)

46 (18.6)

58 (23.6)

  II

58 (23.4)

41 (16.7)

51 (20.5)

54 (21.9)

53 (21.5)

  III

56 (22.6)

79 (32.2)

69 (27.7)

85 (34.4)

81 (32.9)

  IV

25 (10.1)

20 (8.2)

34 (13.7)

34 (13.8)

32 (13.0)

  Unknown

36 (14.5)

39 (15.9)

31 (12.4)

28 (11.3)

22 (8.9)