We also performed multivariate analysis of the established confounding factors i.e. age, site of tumor, and extent of surgical resection; which showed that higher plasma levels of YKL-40 and NLR were not associated with age (P = 0.174; P = 0.131, respectively), site (P = 0.300; P = 0.4798, respectively), and extent of resection (P = 0.205; P = 0.186, respectively). This evidence concerns the gene CHI3L1 and neoplasm.