On univariate analysis, only age (P<0.05), mGPS (P<0.01), TNM stage (P⩽0.001), tumour differentiation (P⩽0.001), resection margin (P<0.10), LNR (P<0.001), Klintrup–Makinen score (P<0.05), CD8+ (P<0.05), CD68+ (P<0.10) and Ki-67 (P<0.05) were significantly associated with cancer-specific survival. Here, MKI67 is linked to cancer.