STAT3 and neoplasm: Multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model revealed that pathological stage (≥ pT3), lymph node involvement, and tumor grade, but not STAT3 score, were significantly associated with progression-free survival and that pathological stage (≥ pT3) and tumor grade were significantly associated with cancer-specific survival (Tables 2 and 3, multivariate model 1).