The preoperative controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score is an independent prognostic marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Prognostic Value of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score in Patients Who Underwent Cytoreductive Surgery Combined with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is a novel nutritional index that integrates the serum albumin level, peripheral blood lymphocyte count, and total cholesterol level. This retrospective study explores its prognostic significance in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC). We included 436 patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC, categorized into low (0-3) and high (4-12) CONUT score groups, and performed logistic regression analysis to predict one-year mortality and postoperative morbidity. Our findings revealed that high CONUT scores correlate with increased one-year mortality (47.1% vs. 20.3%, p < 0.001) and morbidity (39.2% vs. 18.2%, p < 0.001) compared to low CONUT scores. Multivariable regression analysis confirmed high CONUT scores as independent predictors of one-year mortality (odds ratio: 2.253, 95% CI: 1.014-5.005, p = 0.046) and postoperative morbidity (odds ratio: 2.201, 95% CI: 1.066-4.547, p = 0.033). These results underscore the CONUT score's effectiveness as an independent marker for evaluating risks associated with CRS-HIPEC, emphasizing its potential to improve risk stratification.

The conditional recurrence-free survival after R0 hepatectomy for locally advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A competing risk analysis based on inflammation-nutritional status

Background

Conditional survival analysis can serve as a dynamic prognostic metric, which helps to estimate the real-time survival probability over time. The present study conducted a conditional recurrence-free survival (CRFS) analysis for locally advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after R0 hepatectomy from an inflammatory-nutritional perspective using the competing risk method.

Methods

We extracted the medical data of 164 locally advanced ICC patients after R0 resection from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. The calculation formula of the CRFS rate is CRFS(y/x) = RFS(y + x)/RFS(x). Univariable and multivariable COX regression analysis and competing risk analysis were conducted to identify RFS indicators.

Results

Considering death before recurrence as a competing risk factor, the conditional RFS rates every 6 months gradually increased over time. The 24-month RFS rate increased from 29.2 % to 49.9 %, 68.5 %, and 85.1 % given 6, 12, and 18-month already recurrence-free survival, respectively. Both in multivariate COX regression analysis and competing risk analysis, tumor diameter and number, lymph node metastasis, aggregate systemic inflammation index score (AISI), and albumin-bilirubin score (ALBI) all remained significant. For both AISI and ALBI variables, the CRFS rates in the low-value set were higher than those of the high-value set.

Conclusions

Conditional RFS rates of locally advanced ICC after R0 hepatectomy dynamically increased over time, which contributed to reducing survivors' psychological distress and facilitating personalized follow-up schedules. In addition, a person's inflammatory and nutritional status significantly impact the recurrence risk. Oncologists should consider the role of inflammation-nutritional status when making decisions for patients with locally advanced ICC.

Controlling the nutritional status score: a new tool for predicting postoperative mortality in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm treated with endovascular aneurysm repair

Background

AAA is a fatal condition that commonly occurs during vascular surgery. Nutritional status exerts a significant influence on the prognosis of various pathological conditions Scores from the CONUT screening tool have been shown to predict outcomes of certain malignancies and chronic diseases. However, the ramifications of nutritional status on AAA patients undergoing EVAR have not been elucidated in prior studies. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the correlation between CONUT scores and postoperative prognostic outcomes in patients with AAA undergoing EVAR.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of 177 AAA patients treated with EVAR from June 2018 to November 2019 in a single center. Patient characteristics, CONUT scores, and postoperative status were collected. These patients were stratified into groups A and B according to CONUT scores. Subsequently, a comparative analysis of the baseline characteristics between the two cohorts was conducted. Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the autonomous predictors of mid-term mortality and complications, respectively.

Results

Compared with group A, patients in group B had higher midterm mortality (p < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that CONUT scores; respiratory diseases; stent types; preoperative Hb, CRP, PT, and Fb levels were risk factors for death. Multivariate analysis confirmed that CONUT score [HR, 1.276; 95% CI, 1.029-1.584; p = 0.027] was an independent risk factor for mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed that prior arterial disease, smoking, and D-dimer levels were risk factors, although multivariate analysis showed smoking (OR, 3.492; 95% CI, 1.426-8.553; p = 0.006) was an independent risk factor. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients in group B had shorter mid-term survival than those in group A (log-rank p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Malnutrition was strongly associated with mid-term mortality in patients with infrarenal AAA treated with EVAR.

Prognostic potential of nutritional risk screening and assessment tools in predicting survival of patients with pancreatic neoplasms: a systematic review

BACKGROUNDS & AIMS

The nutritional evaluation of pancreatic cancer (PC) patients lacks a gold standard or scientific consensus, we aimed to summarize and systematically evaluate the prognostic value of nutritional screening and assessment tools used for PC patients.

METHODS

Relevant studies were retrieved from major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) and searched from January 2010 to December 2023. We performed meta-analyses with STATA 14.0 when three or more studies used the same tool.

RESULTS

This analysis included 27 articles involving 6,060 PC patients. According to a meta-analysis of these studies, poor nutritional status evaluated using five nutritional screening tools Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Controlling Nutritional Status Score (CONUT), Nutrition Risk Screening (NRS2002) and Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) was associated with all-cause mortality in PC patients. But Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) did not. Of all tools analyzed, CONUT had the maximum HR for mortality (HR = 1.978, 95%CI 1.345-2.907, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

All-cause mortality in PC patients was predicted by poor nutritional status. CONUT may be the best nutritional assessment tool for PC patients. The clinical application value of Short Form Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF), Generated Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and Patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) in PC patients need to be confirmed. In order to improve patients' nutritional status and promote their recovery, nutritional screening tools can be used.

REGISTRATION

This systematic review was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (number CRD42022376715).

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Update of CT-Based Radiomics Applications in the Pre-Surgical Prediction of the Risk of Post-Operative Fistula, Resectability Status and Prognosis

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Surgical resection is the main driver to improving survival in resectable tumors, while neoadjuvant treatment based on chemotherapy (and radiotherapy) is the best option-treatment for a non-primally resectable disease. CT-based imaging has a central role in detecting, staging, and managing PDAC. As several authors have proposed radiomics for risk stratification in patients undergoing surgery for PADC, in this narrative review, we have explored the actual fields of interest of radiomics tools in PDAC built on pre-surgical imaging and clinical variables, to obtain more objective and reliable predictors.

METHODS

The PubMed database was searched for papers published in the English language no earlier than January 2018.

RESULTS

We found 301 studies, and 11 satisfied our research criteria. Of those included, four were on resectability status prediction, three on preoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) prediction, and four on survival prediction. Most of the studies were retrospective.

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to conclude that many performing models have been developed to get predictive information in pre-surgical evaluation. However, all the studies were retrospective, lacking further external validation in prospective and multicentric cohorts. Furthermore, the radiomics models and the expression of results should be standardized and automatized to be applicable in clinical practice.

The prognosis value of CONUT and SIS score for recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with second-line immunotherapy

Objective

To investigate the predictive value of Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and systemic inflammation (SIS) score in the prognosis, short-term efficacy, and immune-related side effects of patient with recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (R/M ESCC) receiving immunotherapy as second line therapy combined with or without radiotherapy.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with R/M ESCC who received second-line therapy with Camrelizumab were retrospectively studied. They were divided into the high and low score groups according to the CONUT and SIS score. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze factors that might affect patient prognosis and the effects of different CONUT score and SIS on the short-term efficacy and immune-related toxic and side effects of patients.

Results

The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 42.9% and 22.5%, and 29.0% and 5.8%, respectively. The CONUT score ranged from 0 to 6 (3.31 ± 1.43), whereas the SIS score ranged from 0 to 2 (1.19 ± 0.73). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment related toxicity, number of cycles of Camrelizumab used, short-term effect and SIS score were independent prognostic factors for OS (P=0.044, 0.021, 0.021, 0.030, respectively), whereas SIS and CONUT scores were independent prognostic factors for PFS (P=0.005, 0.047, respectively). Patients with low CONUT/SIS score had a low incidence rate of immune-related adverse reactions (X2 = 9.735, 5.693; P=0.002, 0.017) and better short-term efficacy (X2 = 4.427, 7.438; P=0.035, 0.006).

Conclusion

R/M ESCC patients with low CONUT/SIS score have better prognosis, higher objective response rate, lower incidence of immune-related toxic and side effects after receiving immunotherapy as second-line therapy. CONUT scores and SIS scores may be reliable prognostic indicators for patient receiving immunotherapy as second-line therapy for R/M ESCC.

Prognostic Value for Perioperative Serum Total Cholesterol Level on Postoperative Long-Term Prognosis of Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Clinical Study

Cholesterol correlates with occurrence and progression of pancreatic cancer and has predictive value for postoperative prognosis in various cancers. Our study intended to reveal the relationship between perioperative serum total cholesterol (TC) level and postoperative prognosis of pancreatic cancer. We retrospectively analyzed the data of pancreatic cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from January 2015 to December 2021. ROC curves between serum TC level at each time point and 1-year survival rate were drawn, from which study object and optimal cutoff value was determined. Patients were divided into low and high-TC groups, and perioperative data and prognosis were compared. Risk factors for poor postoperative prognosis were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis. Overall survival rates at postoperative 1, 2 and 3 years in the low and high-TC groups were 52.9%, 29.4%, and 15.6% and 80.4%, 47.2%, and 33.8% (p = 0.005), respectively. Multivariate analysis confirmed tumor differentiation degree (RR = 2.054, 95% CI: 1.396-3.025), pTNM stage (RR = 1.595, 95% CI: 1.020-2.494), lymph node metastasis (RR = 1.693, 95% CI: 1.127-2.544), and postoperative 4-week serum TC level (RR = 0.663, 95% CI: 0.466-0.944) as independent risk factors for prognosis of pancreatic cancer. We conclude that postoperative 4-week serum TC level has certain predictive value for long-term postoperative prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

Fibrinogen-to-prealbumin ratio: A new prognostic marker of resectable pancreatic cancer

Background

The fibrinogen-to-prealbumin ratio (FPR), a novel immune-nutritional biomarker, has been reported to be associated with prognosis in several types of cancer, but the role of FPR in the prognosis of resectable pancreatic cancer has not been elucidated.

Methods

A total of 263 patients with resectable pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this study and were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 146) and a validation cohort (n = 117). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to calculate the cut-off values of immune-nutritional markers. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate Cox regression were performed in the training cohort to identify the independent risk factors, based on which the nomogram was established. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated and validation by the training and validation cohort, respectively.

Results

The optimal cutoff value for FPR was 0.29. Multivariate analysis revealed that FPR, controlling nutritional status (CONUT), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage were independent predictors of overall survival (OS). The nomogram was established by involving the five factors above. The C-index of the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.703 (95% CI: 0.0.646-0.761) and 0.728 (95% CI: 0.671-0.784). Decision curve analysis and time-dependent AUC showed that the nomogram had better predictive and discriminative ability than the conventional TNM stage.

Conclusion

FPR is a feasible biomarker for predicting prognosis in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. The nomogram based on FPR is a useful tool for clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies and survival predictions.

The controlling nutritional status score predicts postoperative mortality in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: a retrospective study

Background

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs) are challenging for vascular surgeons because they have a high mortality rate. In many diseases, nutritional status is closely associated with prognosis. The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) screening tool score is a prognostic factor in some malignant and chronic diseases; however, the impact of nutritional status on rAAA has not yet been reported. In this study, we explored the relationship between the CONUT score and the postoperative prognosis of patients with rAAA.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of 39 patients with rAAA who underwent surgical treatment from March 2018 to September 2021 at one center. Patient characteristics, nutritional status (CONUT score), and postoperative status were recorded. The patients were divided into groups A and B based on the CONUT score. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were compared, and Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression analyses were used to determine independent predictors of mid-term mortality and complications, respectively.

Results

The overall mid-term mortality rate was 28.21% (11/39). Compared with group A, group B had higher intraoperative (P = 0.047) and mid-term mortality (P = 0.033) rates. The univariate analysis showed that age [hazard ratio (HR), 1.098; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.019-1.182; P = 0.014], CONUT score (HR, 1.316; 95% CI, 1.027-1.686; P = 0.03), and surgical procedure (HR, 0.127; 95% CI, 0.016-0.992; P = 0.049) were associated with mid-term mortality, whereas the multivariate analysis showed that the CONUT score (HR, 1.313; 95% CI, 1.009-1.710; P = 0.043) was an independent predictor of mid-term mortality. The multivariate logistic regression analysis did not reveal any associations with complications. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that group B had a lower mid-term survival rate (log-rank P = 0.024).

Conclusion

Malnutrition is closely associated with the prognosis of patients with rAAA, and the CONUT score can be used to predict mid-term mortality.

A Pretreatment Prognostic Score to Stratify Survival in Pancreatic Cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a pretreatment prognostic score in pancreatic cancer (PDAC).

BACKGROUND

Pretreatment prognostication in PDAC is important for treatment decisions but remains challenging. Available prognostic tools are derived from selected cohorts of patients who underwent resection, excluding up to 20% of patients with exploration only, and do not adequately reflect the pretreatment scenario.

METHODS

Patients undergoing surgery for PDAC in Heidelberg from July 2006 to June 2014 were identified from a prospective database. Pretreatment parameters were extracted from the database and the laboratory information system. Parameters independently associated with overall survival by uni- and multivariable analyses were used to build a prognostic score. A contemporary cohort from Verona was used for external validation.

RESULTS

In 1197 patients, multiple pretreatment parameters were associated with overall survival by univariable analyses. American Society of Anesthesiology classification, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen, C-reactive protein, albumin, and platelet count were independently associated with survival and were used to create the Heidelberg Prognostic Pancreatic Cancer (HELPP)-score. The HELPP-score was closely associated with overall survival (median survival between 31.3 and 4.8 months; 5-year survival rates between 35% and 0%) and was able to stratify survival in subgroups with or without resection as well as in CA19-9 nonsecretors. In the resected subgroup the HELPP-score stratified survival independently of pathological prognostic factors. The HELPP-score was externally validated and was superior to CA19-9 in both the development and validation cohorts.

CONCLUSION

The HELPP-score is a readily available prognostic tool based on pretreatment routine parameters to stratify survival in PDAC independently of resection status and pathological tumor stage.

Prognostic Effect of the Controlling Nutritional Status Score in Patients With Esophageal Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor

In recent years, a growing number of clinical studies have shown that immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) can increase the remission rate and improve the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer. The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is a novel nutritional indicator that can predict the prognosis of certain malignancies. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 69 patients with advanced esophageal cancer treated with ICI and assessed the relationship between clinicopathological factors including CONUT score, systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the prognosis. We found the CONUT score and SII, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were an independent prognostic factor for overall survival ( P <0.05). Furthermore, among patients treated with ICI, a high CONUT score was associated with a significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival compared with a low CONUT group. In conclusion, the CONUT can be used to predict the efficacy and prognosis of ICI therapy in patients with esophageal cancer. Our studies have shown that the CONUT score can be used as an effective indicator for the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer receiving ICI.

Prognostic role of the prognostic nutritional index in patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative resection without preoperative neoadjuvant treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The prognostic nutrition index (PNI), which has been evaluated in various kinds of cancers, offered a simple yet effective approach to predict the prognosis. The aim of this meta-analysis is to reveal the correlation between preoperative PNI and the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who underwent curative resection.

Methods

We searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases, and extracted the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidential interval (CI) from eligible studies. The pooled HR with 95% CI was applied to evaluate the association between PNI and overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS).

Results

A total of fourteen studies with 3,385 patients were included for meta-analysis. The results (the pooled HR: 1.664, 95% CI: 1.424–1.994, I² = 42.6%, p value = 0.046) indicated that low preoperative PNI was closely related to poor OS. In addition, the results suggested that PNI was negatively correlated with RFS (the pooled HR: 1.369, 95%CI: 1.080–1.734). The robustness of these pooled results was verified by our subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. Moreover, different cutoff values among studies are responsible for the heterogeneity of pooled HR of OS through meta-regression analysis (p value = 0.042). Funnel plots, Begg's test (p value = 0.228) and Egger’s test (p value = 0.702) indicated no significant publication bias in OS.

Conclusion

Preoperative PNI might be a promising marker to predict the prognosis of PDAC patients who underwent curative resection.

How can we better predict the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing surgery using an immune-nutritional scoring system?

BACKGROUND

Several immune-nutritional scores have been used to predict the prognosis of pancreatic cancer, but the efficacies of these scores have yet to be compared. This study aimed to compare various immune-nutritional scores and establish a more accurate scoring system to evaluate the prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

The preoperative immune-nutritional scores of 411 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent radical surgery were retrospectively compared. The cut-off point for predicting mortality was determined using X-tile analysis. The efficacies of various immune-nutritional scores for predicting the short- and long-term outcomes of pancreatic cancer were compared. A new nomogram was established based on immune-nutritional scores.

RESULTS

Regardless of the immune-nutritional scoring method, the short- and long-term outcomes of the group with better nutritional status were better than those of the other groups. The modified Glasgow prognosis score (C-index = 0.74) and controlling nutritional status score (C-index = 0.61) were more effective for predicting the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. A nomogram based on controlling nutritional status, red blood cell distribution, modified Glasgow prognosis score, and tumor node metastasis classification stage was more accurate than any single immune-nutritional score for predicting pancreatic cancer prognosis (C-index = 0.78).

CONCLUSION

Patients with pancreatic cancer with poor preoperative nutritional status have a poorer prognosis. We identify a new nomogram based on immune-nutritional scores that provides an accurate and individualized prediction of prognosis for pancreatic cancer.

Prognostic Significance of PNI in Patients With Pancreatic Head Cancer Undergoing Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background

Recently, several prognosis indicators based on inflammatory and nutritional factors, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), plated-to-lymphocyte (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte (LMR) and prognosis nutritional index (PNI), have been proposed as prognosis factors for several cancers. However, few studies have looked into PNI. The goal of this research was to see if preoperative PNI had any predictive value in patients with pancreatic head cancer who were having a laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Methods

From February 11, 2018 to May 31, 2019, two hundred and fifty-one pancreatic head carcinoma patients were retrospectively enrolled. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off value. Patients were divided into two groups: PNI > 45.1 (high PNI group) and PNI < 45.1 (low PNI group), and clinic-pathological data was compared between the two groups. The link between PNI and NLR, PLR, and LMR, and their effect on overall survival. In addition, the factors of postoperative survival were analyzed univariate and multivariate.

Results

PNI, NLR, PLR and LMR cut-off values were 45.1, 3.7,287.2 and 3.6, respectively. Between the two groups of patients, the low PNI group exhibited considerably higher PLR and lower LMR. PNI had a negative correlation with PLR and NLR (r = −0.329, p < 0.001 and r = 0.170, p = 0.014), but a positive correlation with LMR (r = 0.476, p < 0.001). The high PNI group had a considerably greater survival rate than the low PNI group (median survival days, 217 vs. 468, log-rank = 45.92, p < 0.001). PNI < 45.1(HR: 0.357, 95 percent CI, 0.263–0.485, p < 0.001) and LMR <3.6(HR: 0.705, 95 percent CI, 0.528–0.942, p < 0.018) were revealed to be possible predictive variable in univariate analysis. Only PNI <45.1 was found to be an independent predictive factor in multivariate analysis (HR: 0.359, 95%CI,: 0.256–0.502, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings shoe that PNI is linked to a variety of systemic inflammatory response and can be used to predict survival in individuals with pancreatic head cancer.

The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score and Prognosis in Malignant Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Increasing evidences indicate that the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score is associated with cancer prognosis. This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic significance of pretreatment CONUT score on patients with various malignant tumors. The correlation between CONUT score and clinical outcomes of tumor patients were studied by electronic literature retrieval. Pooled hazard ratios (HR), odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated to clarify the conclusion. Subgroup analysis were conducted in line with cancer type, cancer stage, treatment, sample size and cut-off value. A total of 62 studies involving 25224 patients were included in this study. Pooled analysis showed that higher CONUT scores were associated with shorter overall survival (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.45-1.79, p < 0.001), cancer-specific survival (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.48-2.13, p < 0.001), progress/recurrence-free survival (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.23-1.85, p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.39-1.74, p < 0.001). In addition, high CONUT score was correlated to higher incidence of postoperative complications (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.38-1.95, p < 0.001) and mortality (OR 4.22, 95% CI 2.22-8.02, p < 0.001). Consequently, the pretreatment CONUT score is a valuable indicator to predict the clinical outcomes of patients with various malignant tumors.

CONUT Score: A New Tool for Predicting Prognosis in Patients with Advanced Thyroid Cancer Treated with TKI

Simple Summary

Many studies have shown that an impaired nutritional status correlated with a worse prognosis in cancer patients. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the potential role of baseline Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT score) in predicting prognosis of advanced thyroid cancer treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). We were able to confirm that baseline CONUT score significantly correlated with progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and was the only independent prognostic factor for both outcomes. In particular, a CONUT score ≥3 was associated with a worse PFS and OS. The CONUT score represents a relatively new screening tool that is useful in predicting prognosis in thyroid cancer patients before the beginning of anti-tumoral treatment.

Abstract

(1) Background: The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an immuno-nutritional screening tool based on serum albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocyte count. The aim of the study was to assess the CONUT score as a potential prognostic factor of response to therapy in patients with advanced thyroid cancer treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). (2) Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 42 metastatic thyroid cancer patients (54.8% female). The median age at the time of TKI treatment was 69 years. Histological diagnosis was differentiated thyroid cancer in 66.7%, poorly differentiated thyroid cancer in 21.4%, and medullary thyroid cancer in 11.9% of patients. CONUT score was assessed before starting TKI therapy. (3) Results: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly influenced by baseline CONUT score. The best CONUT cut-off able to predict the response to treatment was 3. Both PFS and OS were better in patients with CONUT score <3 than in those with CONUT score ≥3 (p < 0.0001). CONUT score was the only independent prognostic factor associated with PFS (p = 0.021) and OS (p = 0.007). (4) Conclusions: CONUT score represents a relatively new screening tool, easily applicable in clinical practice and potentially useful in predicting prognosis in thyroid cancer patients treated with TKIs.

Prognostic Value of Pretreatment Controlling Nutritional Status Score for Patients With Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background

Previous studies have explored the prognostic value of the pretreatment Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score of patients with pancreatic cancer. However, the results of those studies were inconsistent. We used meta-analysis to investigate the impact of the CONUT score on the prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods

We thoroughly searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant articles from inception to November 19, 2021. Combined hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to estimate the prognostic value of the CONUT score with respect to survival duration. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were used to estimate the correlation between the CONUT score and clinical characteristics.

Results

The database search found seven studies with 2,294 patients for inclusion in this meta-analysis. A high CONUT score was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.13–2.16, p = 0.007), but not with recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 1.47, 95% CI = 0.97–2.23, p = 0.072) of patients with pancreatic cancer. Moreover, there was a significant association between an elevated CONUT score and male patients (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.03–1.75, p = 0.029). However, there was no significant association between the CONUT score and the clinical stage (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.46–2.71, p = 0.576), lymph node metastasis (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.39–1.36, p = 0.323), lymphatic vessel invasion (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.55–1.28, p = 0.411), invasion of the portal vein system (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.51–2.13, p = 0.915), and nerve plexus invasion (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.83–1.80, p = 0.318) in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Conclusions

The results of our meta-analysis indicate that a high CONUT score predicts a poor OS in patients with pancreatic cancer. The CONUT score may be an effective prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer in clinical practice.

The value of the controlling nutritional status score in predicting the prognosis of patients with lung cancer: A multicenter, retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The body's immune-nutritional status affects prognosis in patients with lung cancer. The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an immune-nutrition-related index associated with prognosis in other tumors. We aimed to assess the value of CONUT in predicting prognosis in patients with lung cancer.

METHODS

In this retrospective multicenter study, 1,339 patients with lung cancer were divided into low- and high-CONUT score groups. The relationship between CONUT scores and overall survival (OS) was assessed by survival curves and Cox's proportional hazards regression modelling. A nomogram including CONUT and other clinical variables was established.

RESULTS

There were 659 (49.2%; mean age 59.91 years) low- and 680 (50.8%; mean age 62.23 years) high-CONUT score patients. OS was significantly worse in patients with high than in those with low CONUT scores (P < 0.001), even after stratification by pathological types (non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer) and Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stages. A high CONUT score independently predicted risk in patients with lung cancer (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.26-1.73; P < 0.001). The CONUT-based nomogram could predict prognosis well (C-index: 0.701), with better resolution and accuracy than TNM staging for predicting OS at 1, 2, and 3 years (Area under the ROC curve: 0.735 vs. 0.678; 0.742 vs. 0.696; and 0.768 vs. 0.743).

CONCLUSION

The CONUT score can predict prognosis in patients with lung cancer. A CONUT-based nomogram can improve the accuracy of survival prediction in such patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Early Prognostic Factors in Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Receiving Gemcitabine Together With Nab-paclitaxel

BACKGROUND

Gemcitabine together with nab-paclitaxel (GnP) has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the predictive markers for treatment effects remain unclear. This study aimed to identify early prognostic factors in patients with PDAC receiving GnP.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We analyzed 113 patients who received GnP for PDAC and evaluated the relationship between clinical factors and outcomes.

RESULTS

The median survival time (MST) was 1.2 years. In multivariate analysis, baseline carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) ≥747 U/ml [hazard ratio (HR)=1.9], baseline controlling nutrition status (CONUT) score ≥5 (HR=3.7) and changing rate of CA19-9 after two GnP cycles ≥0.69 (HR=3.7) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis. When examining outcomes according to pre-chemotherapeutic measurable factors (baseline CA19-9 and CONUT), the MSTs of patients with pre-chemotherapeutic zero risk factors (pre-low-risk group, n=63) and one or more risk factors (pre-high-risk group, n=50) were 1.7 and 0.65 years (p<0.001), respectively. The MST for those with a changing rate of CA19-9 after two GnP cycles <0.69 and ≥0.69 was significantly different in both groups (2.0 and 1.2 years in the pre-low-risk group, p<0.001; 1.0 and 0.52 years in the pre-high-risk group, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

These results may be useful for decision-making regarding treatment strategies in patients with PDAC receiving GnP.

Prognostic Impact of Indicators of Systemic Inflammation and the Nutritional Status of Patients with Resected Carcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Several indicators of systemic inflammation and nutritional status were recently shown to serve as novel prognostic factors for certain cancers. Here, we aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of preoperative indicators of systemic inflammation and nutritional status associated with the survival of patients with resected ampulla of Vater carcinoma (AC).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the records of 91 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) for AC from January 2002 through December 2018. Indices for systemic inflammation and nutritional status (Systemic immune-inflammation index [SII], Prognostic nutritional index [PNI], modified Glasgow prognostic score [mGPS], and Controlling nutritional status score [CONUT]) were determined using preoperative blood tests. Clinicopathological factors and these indices were analyzed to identify predictors of overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

The median preoperative SII and PNI values were 456.7 and 47.5, respectively, and their optimal cut-off values were 670.0 and 50.0, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that high SII, low PNI, mGPS ≥ 1, and malnutrition, assessed using the CONUT, were significant predictors of shorter OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that high SII (HR = 2.71, p = 0.023) and malnutrition assessed using the CONUT (hazard ratio = 3.98, p = 0.006) were independent predictors of shorter OS.

CONCLUSION

SII and the CONUT predicted the survival of patients with AC after radical resection. These indicators are easily calculated using preoperative blood tests and may contribute to the development of improved strategies to treat AC.

Peripheral Blood Cell Variables Related to Systemic Inflammation in Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT

Systemic inflammatory response (SIR) plays a central role in the prognosis of unresectable or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), and many SIR-related peripheral blood cell (PBC)-derived variables have been proposed as prognostic factors. The study aims to perform a systematic review and, for the more studied PBC-derived variables, a meta-analysis. A systematic review from 2000 to 2020 on 2 databases by predefined criteria was performed for PBC-derived variables in patients with mPDAC receiving chemotherapy in relation with overall survival. Eligible studies were selected by inclusion criteria, and only the PBC variables reported in at least 10 studies were evaluated by meta-analysis. Three hundred and eighty articles were found, and 28 studies were selected. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were reported in 28 and 10 articles, respectively. The subsequent meta-analyses supported the prognostic effect for both, NLR (hazard ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.87-2.37) and PLR (hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.37). Heterogeneity was significant for NLR (I2 = 62%) and low for PLR (I2 = 24%). Among SIR-related PBC-derived variables, NLR is the most suitable prognostic factor for future clinical trials of patients with mPDAC.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram Based on Nutritional Indicators and Tumor Markers for Prognosis Prediction of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Purpose

This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram with preoperative nutritional indicators and tumor markers for predicting prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods

We performed a bicentric, retrospective study including 155 eligible patients with PDAC. Patients were divided into a training group (n = 95), an internal validation group (n = 34), an external validation group (n = 26), and an entire validation group (n = 60). Cox regression analysis was conducted in the training group to identify independent prognostic factors to construct a nomogram for overall survival (OS) prediction. The performance of the nomogram was assessed in validation groups and through comparison with controlling nutritional status (CONUT) and prognostic nutrition index (PNI).

Results

The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that serum albumin and lymphocyte count were independent protective factors while CA19-9 and diabetes were independent risk factors. The concordance index (C-index) of the nomogram in the training, internal validation, external validation and entire validation groups were 0.777, 0.769, 0.759 and 0.774 respectively. The areas under curve (AUC) of the nomogram in each group were 0.861, 0.845, 0.773, and 0.814. C-index and AUC of the nomogram were better than those of CONUT and PNI in the training and validation groups. The net reclassification index (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and decision curve analysis showed improvement of accuracy of the nomogram in predicting OS and better net benefit in guiding clinical decisions in comparison with CONUT and PNI.

Conclusions

The nomogram incorporating four preoperative nutritional and tumor markers including serum albumin concentration, lymphocyte count, CA19-9 and diabetes mellitus could predict the prognosis more accurately than CONUT and PNI and may serve as a clinical decision support tool to determine what treatment options to choose.

Clinical Significance of Preoperative Albumin-Bilirubin Grade in Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

No study has clarified the clinical significance of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade in a large cohort of pancreatic cancer patients.

METHODS

A total of 1006 consecutive patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and deemed eligible for surgical resection were analyzed. The ALBI score was calculated as: ALBI score = (log₁₀ bilirubin [µmol/L] × 0.66) + (albumin [g/L]  × - 0.0852). ALBI grade was assigned as grade 1, 2a, 2b, and 3. ALBI grade 1 was assigned to the ALBI low group (N = 566), and grades 2a, 2b, and 3 to the ALBI high group (N = 440).

RESULTS

The primary lesion could not be resected in 129 patients. Among all patients, overall survival (OS) was significantly worse in the ALBI high group than in the ALBI low group (P = 0.024). Overall, 877 patients underwent pancreatectomy. In these patients, the ALBI high group was associated with high CA19-9 level (P < 0.001), lower morbidity rate (P < 0.001), and pancreatic head tumor (P = 0.001). Patients' OS after resection was significantly worse in the ALBI high group than in the ALBI low group (P < 0.001). Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed ALBI grade as an independent predictor for prognosis (hazard ratio, 1.33; P = 0.015). Even in the CA19-9 negative patients, OS was significantly worse in the ALBI high group than in the ALBI low group (P = 0.046).

CONCLUSIONS

The ALBI grade is a clinically useful predictor for prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients.

Use of preoperative controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score as a better prognostic marker for distal cholangiocarcinoma after pancreatoduodenectomy

PURPOSE

The controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score can be easily calculated from the serum albumin concentration, total cholesterol concentration, and total lymphocyte count. The study aim was to assess the preoperative prognostic factors for the overall survival (OS) of distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC) following pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) and to demonstrate the utility of the CONUT score.

METHODS

A total of 149 consecutive patients who underwent PD for DCC between September 2002 and December 2016 were divided into a low-CONUT (LC) group (CONUT scores ≤ 2) and a high-CONUT (HC) group (CONUT scores ≥ 3). The clinicopathological characteristics and OS of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. Prognostic factors of DCC were identified by multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The LC and HC groups included 113 and 36 patients, respectively. The OS was better in the LC group than in the HC group (median survival time and 5 year survival rate: 82 months and 56.8% vs. 38 months and 27.6%, P = 0.005). Multivariate analyses for the OS in all patients showed that the tumor differentiation, perineural invasion, residual tumor status, portal vein resection, blood transfusion, and preoperative CONUT score ≥ 3 were independently associated with a poor survival.

CONCLUSION

The CONUT score may be a useful preoperative factor for predicting the long-term survival in patients with DCC.