Table 3

Subgroup analysis for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and body mass index at diagnosis according to pathologic stage, age and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Stratification Variable	Overall Survival				Recurrence–free survival
Stratification Variable	Univariable model HR (95% CI)	P value	Multivariable model^a HR (95% CI)	P value	Univariable model HR (95% CI)	P value	Multivariable model^a HR (95% CI)	P value
NLR^b
Pathologic TNM stage
Stage I	1.666 (0.931–2.984)	0.086	1.705 (0.913–3.185)	0.094	0.817 (0.367–1.816)	0.619	0.985 (0.451–2.154)	0.970
Stage II	1.555 (1.124–2.150)	0.008	1.308 (0.929–1.842)	0.123	1.593 (1.128–2.249)	0.008	1.410 (0.980–2.031)	0.064
Stage III	1.246 (1.059–1.466)	0.008	1.186 (1.003–1.404)	0.047	1.245 (1.050–1.476)	0.012	1.190 (0.997–1.420)	0.054
Age at diagnosis, years
≥65	1.359 (1.075–1.719)	0.010	1.189 (0.927–1.525)	0.174	1.262 (0.972–1.640)	0.081	1.184 (0.898–1.560)	0.232
55 to <65	1.792 (1.428–2.248)	< 0.001	1.485 (1.175–1.876)	0.001	1.695 (1.337–2.148)	< 0.001	1.422 (1.113–1.816)	0.005
<55	1.175 (0.883–1.563)	0.269	1.036 (0.773–1.389)	0.812	1.251 (0.939–1.668)	0.126	1.113 (0.828–1.496)	0.477
Treatment arm
Surgery only	1.619 (1.273–2.060)	< 0.001	1.361 (1.058–1.750)	0.016	1.466 (1.116–1.926)	0.006	1.311 (0.989–1.738)	0.059
Surgery+chemotherapy	1.443 (1.213–1.716)	< 0.001	1.231 (1.028–1.473)	0.023	1.430 (1.196–1.709)	< 0.001	1.233 (1.025–1.484)	0.026
BMI^c
Pathologic TNM stage
Stage I	2.082 (1.130–3.839)	0.019	1.950 (1.037–3.666)	0.038	2.309 (1.183–4.504)	0.014	2.275 (1.155–4.482)	0.017
Stage II	1.693 (1.152–2.487)	0.007	1.811 (1.209–2.713)	0.004	1.743 (1.155–2.632)	0.008	1.859 (1.206–2.864)	0.005
Stage III	1.641 (1.357–1.986)	< 0.001	1.481 (1.215–1.806)	< 0.001	1.702 (1.399–2.070)	< 0.001	1.560 (1.272–1.913)	< 0.001
Age at diagnosis, years
≥65	1.699 (1.307–2.210)	< 0.001	2.029 (1.537–2.677)	< 0.001	1.785 (1.342–2.373)	< 0.001	2.155 (1.594–2.914)	< 0.001
55 to <65	1.537 (1.163–2.032)	0.003	1.344 (1.007–1.794)	0.045	1.708 (1.289–2.263)	< 0.001	1.535 (1.147–2.054)	0.004
<55	1.753 (1.265–2.430)	0.001	1.376 (0.973–1.946)	0.071	1.736 (1.243–2.424)	0.001	1.314 (0.923–1.871)	0.130
Treatment arm
Surgery only	1.762 (1.349–2.302)	< 0.001	1.490 (1.131–1.962)	0.005	1.899 (1.420–2.541)	< 0.001	1.611 (1.195–2.172)	0.002
Surgery+chemotherapy	1.691 (1.372–2.084)	< 0.001	1.684 (1.352–2.097)	< 0.001	1.758 (1.422–2.173)	< 0.001	1.697 (1.359–2.120)	< 0.001
NLR and BMI^d
Pathologic TNM stage
Stage I	4.972 (1.525–16.218)	0.008	5.419 (1.453–20.204)	0.012	1.683 (0.229–12.358)	0.609	1.998 (0.244–16.361)	0.519
Stage II	2.651 (1.512–4.647)	0.001	3.341 (1.826–6.112)	< 0.001	2.827 (1.573–5.079)	0.001	3.624 (1.912–6.869)	< 0.001
Stage III	2.385 (1.750–3.250)	< 0.001	2.189 (1.580–3.032)	< 0.001	2.387 (1.738–3.278)	< 0.001	2.183 (1.564–3.047)	< 0.001
Age at diagnosis, years
≥65	2.638 (1.752–3.973)	< 0.001	2.884 (1.836–4.529)	< 0.001	2.703 (1.746–4.183)	< 0.001	3.177 (1.950–5.178)	< 0.001
55 to <65	2.716 (1.692–4.359)	< 0.001	2.257 (1.358–3.750)	0.002	2.744 (1.687–4.463)	< 0.001	2.270 (1.347–3.824)	0.002
<55	2.773 (1.662–4.628)	< 0.001	2.381 (1.369–4.141)	0.002	2.573 (1.517–4.365)	< 0.001	2.066 (1.170–3.645)	0.012
Treatment arm
Surgery only	3.554 (2.274–5.555)	< 0.001	3.016 (1.837–4.949)	< 0.001	3.463 (2.112–5.678)	< 0.001	3.012 (1.752–5.176)	< 0.001
Surgery + chemotherapy	2.599 (1.873–3.607)	< 0.001	2.481 (1.754–3.511)	< 0.001	2.579 (1.85–3.595)	< 0.001	2.425 (1.706–3.449)	< 0.001

^aCox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, adjuvant chemotherapy, primary tumor location, histopathological differentiation, number of lymph nodes dissected, TNM stage, family history of gastric cancer, Charlson comorbidity score, smoke, alcohol, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, type of gastrectomy and surgical complications, unless stratified by those variables; ^bAll HRs compared patients with NLR ≥ 3 vs. patients with NLR < 3; ^cAll HRs compared patients with underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²) vs. patients with BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m²; ^dAll HRs compared patients with NLR ≥ 3 and underweight vs. patients with NLR < 3 and BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m². NLR, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; BMI, body mass index; HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence intervals; TNM, tumor-node-metastasis.