A combined preoperative red cell distribution width and carcinoembryonic antigen score contribute to prognosis prediction in stage I lung adenocarcinoma

AIMS: Hematological markers that can be used for prognosis prediction for stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are still lacking. Here, we examined the prognostic value of a combination of the red cell distribution width (RDW) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), namely, the RDW-CEA score (RCS), in stage I LUAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study with 154 patients with stage I LUAD was conducted. Patients were divided into RCS 1 (decreased RDW and CEA), RCS 2 (decreased RDW and increased CEA, increased RDW and decreased CEA), and RCS 3 (increased RDW and CEA) subgroups based on the best optimal cutoff points of RDW and CEA for overall survival (OS). The differences in other clinicopathological parameters among RCS subgroups were calculated. Disease-free survival (DFS) and OS among these groups were determined by Kaplan–Meier analysis, and risk factors for outcome were calculated by a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Seventy, 65, and 19 patients were assigned to the RCS 1, 2, and 3 subgroups, respectively. Patients ≥ 60 years (P < 0.001), male sex (P = 0.004), T(2) stage (P = 0.004), and IB stage (P = 0.006) were more significant in the RCS 2 or 3 subgroups. The RCS had a good area under the curve (AUC) for predicting DFS (AUC = 0.81, P < 0.001) and OS (AUC = 0.93, P < 0.001). The DFS (log-rank = 33.26, P < 0.001) and OS (log-rank = 42.05, P < 0.001) were significantly different among RCS subgroups, with RCS 3 patients displaying the worst survival compared to RCS 1 or 2 patients. RCS 3 was also an independent risk factor for both DFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: RCS is a useful prognostic indicator in stage I LUAD patients, and RCS 3 patients have poorer survival. However, randomized controlled trials are needed to validate our findings in the future.