Title: Postoperative serum interleukin-6 levels correlate with survival in stage I-III colorectal
cancer
Version: 2 Date: 08 Apr 2023
Reviewer's report:
This is a novel and  important study to identify relationship between postoperative IL-6 and
CRC patients outcome. Some comments and questions about the study:
1. As an potential way to verify the effect  of high IL-6 levels to poor prognosis, the  measurement
and calculation formula of absolute lymphocyte counts should be revealed in Materials and
methods.
2. As mentioned in  discussion, PCT and CRP would be more useful in predicting infective
complications rather than tumor recurrance and survival. Meanwhile, as a promosing and  rising
prognosis  factor in several cancers, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) might be  crucial to
analyze and compare  with IL-6 levels in your research.
3.  In your article, what is the median day  post-operative for measuring value of CRP, PCT and
IL-6 levels?  (3d, 7d, 2w, or 3m)
4. The strength of this article was revealing  the  impact of  post-operative serum IL-6 rather
than PCT and CRP level to poor  prognosis  in CRC patients; However, it may be interesting to
compare  the preoperative level of  CRP and PCT level in  low or high IL-6 subgroups (Table1.)
and the prognosis significance in Kaplan#Meier analysis.
5.  Page 3,  Method, Enrollment of patients,  Please check the list number 4. and 5.  in exclusion
criteria .(4#3, 5#4).
6. Figure 2. Correlation of postoperative IL-6 level etc.... Please check the postoperative within
1 week (A).
Title: Postoperative serum interleukin-6 levels correlate with survival in stage I-III colorectal
cancer
Version: 2 Date: 08 Apr 2023
Reviewer's report:
This is a novel and  important study to identify relationship between postoperative IL-6 and
CRC patients outcome. Some comments and questions about the study:
1. As an potential way to verify the effect  of high IL-6 levels to poor prognosis, the  measurement
and calculation formula of absolute lymphocyte counts should be revealed in Materials and
methods.
2. As mentioned in  discussion, PCT and CRP would be more useful in predicting infective
complications rather than tumor recurrance and survival. Meanwhile, as a promosing and  rising
prognosis  factor in several cancers, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) might be  crucial to
analyze and compare  with IL-6 levels in your research.
3.  In your article, what is the median day  post-operative for measuring value of CRP, PCT and
IL-6 levels?  (3d, 7d, 2w, or 3m)
4. The strength of this article was revealing  the  impact of  post-operative serum IL-6 rather
than PCT and CRP level to poor  prognosis  in CRC patients; However, it may be interesting to
compare  the preoperative level of  CRP and PCT level in  low or high IL-6 subgroups (Table1.)
and the prognosis significance in Kaplan#Meier analysis.
5.  Page 3,  Method, Enrollment of patients,  Please check the list number 4. and 5.  in exclusion
criteria .(4#3, 5#4).
6. Figure 2. Correlation of postoperative IL-6 level etc.... Please check the postoperative within
1 week (A).
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Postoperative serum interleukin-6 levels correlate with survival in stage I-III colorectal
cancer
Version: 2 Date: 08 Apr 2023
Reviewer's report:
This is a novel and  important study to identify relationship between postoperative IL-6 and
CRC patients outcome. Some comments and questions about the study:
1. As an potential way to verify the effect  of high IL-6 levels to poor prognosis, the  measurement
and calculation formula of absolute lymphocyte counts should be revealed in Materials and
methods.
2. As mentioned in  discussion, PCT and CRP would be more useful in predicting infective
complications rather than tumor recurrance and survival. Meanwhile, as a promosing and  rising
prognosis  factor in several cancers, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) might be  crucial to
analyze and compare  with IL-6 levels in your research.
3.  In your article, what is the median day  post-operative for measuring value of CRP, PCT and
IL-6 levels?  (3d, 7d, 2w, or 3m)
4. The strength of this article was revealing  the  impact of  post-operative serum IL-6 rather
than PCT and CRP level to poor  prognosis  in CRC patients; However, it may be interesting to
compare  the preoperative level of  CRP and PCT level in  low or high IL-6 subgroups (Table1.)
and the prognosis significance in Kaplan#Meier analysis.
5.  Page 3,  Method, Enrollment of patients,  Please check the list number 4. and 5.  in exclusion
criteria .(4#3, 5#4).
6. Figure 2. Correlation of postoperative IL-6 level etc.... Please check the postoperative within
1 week (A).
assistant