Table 1 Patient and tumor characteristics according to the type of prior drug therapy

Median age at diagnosis, years (range)

62.5 (52–77)

62.5 (41–80)

71.5 (62–75)

63.5 (41–80)

Male sex

9 (75)

5 (31)

4 (100)

18 (56)

Median smoking index (range)

935 (0–1400)

200 (0–3000)

925 (700–1200)

750 (0–3000)

ECOG performance status

 0

11 (92)

16 (100)

4 (100)

31 (97)

 1

1 (8)

0

0

1 (3)

Comorbidities

 COPD

2 (17)

1 (6)

3 (75)

6 (19)

 Interstitial pneumonia

2 (17)

0

0

2 (6)

 Diabetes mellitus

1 (8)

2 (13)

0

3 (9)

 Cardiac disease

4 (33)

1 (6)

0

5 (16)

 Cerebrovascular disease

1 (8)

0

0

1 (3)

Initial serum CEA level, ng/mL (range)

6.8 (0.5–1024)

17.1 (0.8–381)

7.4 (5.4–15.1)

10.2 (0.5–1024)

Preoperative serum CEA level, ng/mL (range)

6.2 (1.4–92.5)

3.7 (0.6–73)

5 (3.4–5.1)

4.2 (0.6–92.5)

Clinical nodal metastasis (+)

8 (67)

10 (63)

3 (75)

21 (66)

Pre-treatment clinical stage (c stage)

 IIIA

3 (25)

0

1 (25)

4 (13)

 IIIB

3 (25)

2 (13)

2 (50)

7 (22)

 IV

6 (50)

14 (88)

1 (25)

21 (66)

Initial distant metastatic organ*

 Brain

2 (17)

0

0

2 (6)

 Bone

2 (17)

6 (38)

0

8 (25)

 Lung

0

3 (19)

0

3 (9)

 Adrenal gland

0

1 (6)

0

1 (3)

 Pleura

1 (8)

5 (31)

1 (25)

7 (22)

 Muscle

1 (8)

0

0

1 (3)

 Others

1 (8)

1 (6)

0

2 (6)

Number of distant metastatic organs

 1

5 (42)

10 (63)

1 (25)

16 (50)

 2

1 (8)

1 (6)

0

2 (6)

 ≧ 3

0

3 (19)

0

3 (9)

Local therapy for distant metastasis

5 (42)

0

1 (25)

6 (19)

 Surgery for brain

1 (8)

0

0

1 (3)

 Radiation therapy for bone

2 (17)

0

1 (25)

3 (9)

 Radiation therapy for muscle

1 (8)

0

0

1 (3)

 Surgery plus radiotherapy for brain

1 (8)

0

0

1 (3)

Posttreatment clinical stage (yc stage)

 I

6 (50)

10 (63)

0

16 (50)

 II

2 (17)

2 (13)

3 (75)

7 (22)

 IIIA

3 (25)

1 (6)

0

4 (13)

 IIIB

1 (8)

2 (13)

1 (25)

4 (13)

 IV

0

1 (6)

0

1 (3)