Abstract
Few studies have shown the relationship between electrocardiogram (ECG) findings and long-term outcomes after malignant tumor resection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between preoperative ECG findings and relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer (CRC). The study included 431 patients who underwent R0-resection for Stages II and III CRC, and data for the following parameters were collected: age, sex, tumor location (left or right side of the colon or rectum), tumor depth (T), lymph node metastasis (N), stage, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, preoperative ECG findings (heart rate, PR interval, QRS interval, QTc interval, and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH)), and RFS. Univariate analysis revealed that age, tumor location, T, N, stage, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and LVH were significantly associated with RFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, stage, QRS interval, and LVH were independent significant prognostic factors. Patients with a QRS interval ≥ 120 ms and/or LVH showed significantly shorter RFS than those without either of these factors (p = 0.0475) in Stage III CRC. Thus, a QRS interval ≥ 120 ms and LVH on preoperative ECG may be long-term prognostic factors for patients undergoing curative resection for CRC.
