Lipid levels and insulin resistance markers in patients with colorectal cancer: Propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignant neoplasm characterized by subtle early manifestations. AIM To investigate the correlation among serum lipid profiles, the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, and the atherosclerotic index (AI) in patients with CRC. Furthermore, it explored the clinical diagnostic utility of combining serum lipids with cancer antigens in the context of CRC. METHODS A retrospective analysis encompassed 277 patients with CRC and 1034 healthy individuals. RESULTS Following propensity score matching, patients with CRC exhibited significantly reduced levels of serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as a diminished TyG index. Conversely, they displayed elevated AI levels compared to their healthy counterparts. Patients in advanced stages exhibited lower serum levels of TG, TC, and LDL-C compared to those in early stages. Patients with positive lymph node metastasis demonstrated reduced levels of TG, LDL-C, and the TyG index. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the combination of the TyG index, carcinoembryonic antigen, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 yielded the highest positive prediction rate for CRC at 75.3%. CONCLUSION Preoperative serum lipid profiles exhibit a robust association with patients with CRC. The concurrent assessment of multiple serum lipids and cancer antigens effectively enhances the diagnostic accuracy for CRC.