Table 3 Baseline characteristics of CRC patients according to AIM levels

Age (years)

 ≤ 65

282 (65.6)

115 (57.8)

167 (72.3)

 > 65

148 (34.4)

84 (42.2)

64 (27.7)

Gender

 Male

245 (57.0)

112 (56.3)

133 (57.6)

 Female

185 (43.0)

87 (43.7)

98 (42.4)

BMI (kg/m²)

23.4 ± 3.2

23.6 ± 3.4

23.3 ± 3.0

Current smoker

 Yes

183 (42.6)

80 (40.2)

103 (44.6)

 No

247 (57.4)

119 (59.8)

128 (55.4)

Drinker

 Yes

139 (32.3)

60 (30.2)

79 (34.2)

 No

291 (67.7)

139 (69.8)

152 (65.8)

WBC (× 10⁹/L)

7.09 ± 2.44

7.11 ± 2.61

7.08 ± 2.30

Haemoglobin (g/L)

132.9 ± 23.4

130.8 ± 23.7

134.7 ± 23.1

Platelet count (× 10⁹/L)

273.1 ± 90.6

272.6 ± 89.7

273.6 ± 91.6

Creatinine (μmol/L)

81.1 ± 18.6

82.6 ± 22.3

79.8 ± 14.7

CEA (ng/mL)

4.37 (2.03–11.31)

3.82 (1.94–13.70)

4.67 (2.12–10.67)

Tumor size (cm)

 < 5.0

278 (64.7)

127 (63.8)

151 (65.4)

 ≥ 5.0

152 (35.3)

72 (36.2)

80 (34.6)

Tumor location

 Proximal

153 (35.6)

80 (59.8)

73 (31.6)

 Distal

277 (64.4)

119 (31.2)

158 (68.4)

Histological type

 Non-mucinous

364 (84.7)

161 (80.9)

203 (87.9)

 Mucinous

66 (15.3)

38 (19.1)

28 (12.1)

Histological grade

 Well/moderately differentiated

308 (71.6)

145 (72.9)

163 (70.6)

 Poorly differentiated

122 (28.4)

54 (27.1)

68 (29.4)

Lymphatic invasion

 Absent

331 (77.0)

157 (78.9)

174 (75.3)

 Present

99 (23.0)

42 (21.1)

57 (24.7)

T classification

 T1 + T2

63 (14.7)

36 (18.1)

27 (11.7)

 T3 + T4

367 (85.3)

163 (81.9)

204 (88.3)

Lymph node metastasis

 Absence

267 (62.1)

128 (64.3)

139 (60.2)

 Presence

163 (37.9)

71 (35.7)

92 (39.8)

Distant metastasis

 Absence

382 (88.8)

178 (89.4)

204 (88.3)

 Presence

48 (11.2)

21 (10.6)

27 (11.7)

Stage

 I–II

258 (60.0)

127 (63.8)

131 (56.7)

 III–IV

172 (40.0)

72 (36.2)

100 (43.3)

MSI status

 MSS

366 (85.1)

150 (75.4)

216 (93.5)

 MSI-H

64 (14.9)

49 (24.6)

15 (6.5)