Prognostic significance of preoperative lymphocytes, albumin, and neutrophils (LANR) index in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

The index composed of preoperative lymphocytes, albumin, and neutrophils (LANR), a new composite score based on inflammatory response and nutritional status, has been reported to be associated with the prognosis of multiple types of cancer, but the role of LANR in the prognosis of resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has not yet been elucidated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The data of 142 patients with PDAC who underwent radical resection in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to determine the optimal cut-off values for these parameters, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of LANR in predicting survival. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curves. Log rank test was used for univariate analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariate analysis.  RESULTS: The optimal cut-off value of LANR was 18.145, and a low preoperative LANR was significantly correlated with the location of the tumor (p = 0.047). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor differentiation degree (HR:2.357, 95%CI:1.388-4.003,p = 0.002), lymph node metastasis (HR:1.755, 95%CI: 1.115-2.763, p = 0.015), TNM stage (HR:4.686, 95%CI: 2.958-7.425, p < 0.001), preoperative cancer antigen 19 - 9 levels (HR:1.001, 95%CI: 1.000-1.001, p < 0.001) and preoperative LANR (HR:0.221, 95%CI: 0.111-0.441, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for a poor prognosis in patients undergoing radical resection of PDAC.

CONCLUSION

This study found that preoperative LANR can be used to assess the prognosis of radical resection in patients with PDAC; those with low preoperative LANR had a worse outcome.

Predicting the risk of interstitial lung disease in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: Novel nomogram and elevated Th2 cells

OBJECTIVE

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most common pulmonary complications in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). This study was performed to identify immunological risk factors of pSS-associated ILD (pSS-ILD) and to further establish and evaluate of nomograms predicting the risk of ILD in patients with pSS.

METHODS

A total of 622 patients with pSS (117 with ILD and 505 without lung involvement) and 166 healthy control subjects (HCs) were ultimately recruited to this retrospective study. Routine examination indicators, tumour markers and lymphocyte (LYMP) subpopulations were extracted. Simple and multiple logistic regressions analyses were performed to screen for independent predictors. Restricted cubic splines were used to examine associations of independent predictors with ILD, and a risk assessment model was constructed. A nomogram prediction model was developed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess its performance.

RESULTS

Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the older age, white blood cell (WBC) count, haemoglobin (HB) level, albumin (ALB) level, CA242 level, and the C-reactive protein (CRP)/LYMP ratio (CLR) were independent predictors of pSS-ILD in a linear manner, these factors were integrated and used to construct a nomogram prediction model. The model had clinical predictive value. In addition, the elevated Th2 cells proportion in pSS patients was significantly positively correlated with lung involvement, while it was negatively correlated with HB and ALB levels. Remarkably, the numbers of Th2 cells were correlated with the CLR in both pSS patients and those with pSS-ILD.

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel ILD nomogram could be used to assess the risk of ILD in pSS patients with good discrimination ability. As well as, elevated peripheral blood Th2 cell levels may be related to ILD in patients with pSS.

C-reactive protein/albumin ratio is the most significant inflammatory marker in unresectable pancreatic cancer treated with FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel

There are limited absolute biomarkers for determining the prognosis before first- and second-line palliative chemotherapy in unresectable pancreatic cancer (urPC) patients. To find the best prognostic inflammatory marker, we investigated relationships between overall survival (OS) and six inflammatory markers; C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), prognostic nutrition index (PNI), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), and prognostic index (PI). We examined 255 patients who received gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel or FOLFIRINOX as first-line chemotherapy and 159 patients who subsequently underwent second-line chemotherapy. First-line patients with lower CAR had better OS compared to those with a higher CAR (hazard ratio 0.57; 95% confidential index 0.42-77; P < 0.01). Similarly, lower NLR (P = 0.01), higher PNI (P = 0.04), lower PLR (P = 0.03), GPS score of 0 (P < 0.01) and PI score of 0 (P < 0.01) were all associated with better OS. CAR demonstrated the best superiority for determining survival prognosis through the use of area under the curve of time-dependent receiver-operating characteristic curves. Furthermore, a lower CAR before second-line therapy exhibited better OS versus higher CAR (P < 0.01). Therefore, CAR might be a useful biomarker for predicting urPC patient prognosis in both first- and second-line chemotherapy.

Circulating biomarkers of response to immunotherapy and immune-related adverse events

INTRODUCTION

Immune checkpoint blockade has revolutionized cancer treatment. However, response rates vary, and these treatments have a high rate of immune-related side effects, which can be limiting. Thus, tests to predict who will respond and who may experience side effects are of critical importance toward realizing the ultimate goal of precision oncology.

AREAS COVERED

We review several of the most recent advances in circulating biomarkers that have been reported to be useful in predicting response and immune-related adverse events (irAE) to checkpoint blockade immunotherapies (CBI). We focus on high-quality studies published within the last few years. We highlight significant findings, identify areas for improvement, and provide recommendations on how these biomarkers may be translated into clinical utility.

EXPERT OPINION

As newer immunotherapies are developed, there is a pressing need to identify circulating biomarkers that can help predict responses and side effects. Current studies are mostly small-scale and retrospective; there is a need for larger-scale and prospective studies to help validate several of the biomarkers detailed here. As oncology focuses more on precision-based approaches, it is likely that a combination of biomarkers, including circulating ones as detailed here, will have critical utility in guiding clinical decisions.

Clinical Implication of Preoperative C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio in Malignant Transformation of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm: A Propensity Score Analysis

Background: Inflammation-based scoring has been reported to be useful for predicting the recurrence and prognosis of various carcinomas. This study retrospectively investigated the relationship between inflammation-based score and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). Methods: Between January 2013 and October 2018, we enrolled 417 consecutive patients with pancreatic tumors who received surgical resections at our hospital. The main outcome was the association between the preoperative inflammation-based score and their accuracy in predicting malignant transformation of IPMN. Results: Seventy six patients were eligible. Pathological findings indicated that 35 patients had low-grade dysplasia, 18 had high-grade dysplasia, and 23 had invasive carcinomas. As the C-reactive protein albumin ratio (CAR) was higher, malignant transformation of IPMNs also increased (p = 0.007). In comparing CAR^high and CAR^low using cutoff value, the results using a propensity score analysis showed that the CAR^high group predicted malignant transformation of IPMNs (odds ratio, 4.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.37–12.8; p = 0.01). In the CAR^high group, disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly shorter (p = 0.04). In the worrisome features, the AUC for the accuracy of malignant transformation with CAR^high was 0.84 when combining with the MPD findings. Conclusions: Preoperative CAR could be a predictive marker of malignant transformation of IPMNs.

Value of the CRP-albumin ratio in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer

Background : The C-reactive protein (CRP)-albumin ratio (CAR) was reported as a prognostic factor of resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to analyse the significance of CAR in resectable pancreatic cancer. Patients and Methods : 163 patients with curative resection for pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this retrospective study. Cases of non-curative resection were excluded. The CAR was calculated with the preoperative plasma CRP and albumin values, with a cut-off value of 0.06, as calculated in a previous report. Results : Patients in the low CAR group had significantly better overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) compared with the high CAR group (P < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, for high CAR, CA19-9 > 300 U / ml and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy were independent risk factors for OS and DFS. High CAR was significantly associated with advanced T stage. Conclusion : The CAR might be a prognostic factor for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. J. Med. Invest. 68 : 244-248, August, 2021.

Impact of pre-treatment C-reactive protein level and skeletal muscle mass on outcomes after stereotactic body radiotherapy for T1N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer: a supplementary analysis of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group study JCOG0403

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of pretreatment C-reactive protein (CRP) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) on outcomes after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for T1N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a supplementary analysis of JCOG0403. Patients were divided into high and low CRP groups with a threshold value of 0.3 mg/dL. The paraspinous musculature area at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra was measured on simulation computed tomography (CT). When the area was lower than the sex-specific median, the patient was classified into the low SMM group. Toxicities, overall survival (OS) and cumulative incidence of cause-specific death were compared between the groups. Sixty operable and 92 inoperable patients were included. In the operable cohort, OS significantly differed between the CRP groups (log-rank test p = 0.009; 58.8% and 83.6% at three years for high and low CRP, respectively). This difference in OS was mainly attributed to the difference in lung cancer deaths (Gray's test p = 0.070; 29.4% and 7.1% at three years, respectively). No impact of SMM on OS was observed. The incidence of Grade 3-4 toxicities tended to be higher in the low SMM group (16.7% vs 0%, Fisher's exact test p = 0.052). In the inoperable cohort, no significant impact on OS was observed for either CRP or SMM. The toxicity incidence was also not different between the CRP and SMM groups. The present study suggests that pretreatment CRP level may provide prognostic information in operable patients receiving SBRT for early-stage NSCLC.

Readily available biomarkers predict poor survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Identification of metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) patients with the worst prognosis could help to tailor therapy. We evaluated readily available biomarkers for the prediction of 90-day mortality in a nationwide cohort of mPC patients.

METHODS

Patients with synchronous mPC were included from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (2015-2017). Baseline CA19-9, albumin, CRP, LDH, CRP/albumin ratio, and (modified) Glasgow Prognostic Score ((m)GPS composed of albumin and CRP) were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of 90-day mortality. Prognostic value per predictor was quantified by Nagelkerke's partial R².

RESULTS

Overall, 4248 patients were included. Median overall survival was 2.2 months and 90-day mortality was 59.4% (n = 1629). All biomarkers predicted 90-day mortality in univariable analysis, and remained statistically significant after adjustment for clinically relevant factors and all other biomarkers (all p < 0.001). The prognostic value of the biomarkers combined was similar to WHO performance status. Patients who received chemotherapy had better outcomes than those who did not, regardless of biomarker levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In mPC patients, albumin, CA19-9, CRP, LDH, CRP/albumin ratio, and (m)GPS are prognostic for poor survival. Biomarkers did not predict response to chemotherapy. These readily available biomarkers can be used to better inform patients and to stratify in clinical trials.

Differences in Baseline Characteristics and White Blood Cell Ratios Between Racial Groups in Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains a malignancy with poor prognosis. Black patients experience poorer overall survival compared with other races. Recent studies have elucidated certain prognostic factors at the time of diagnosis of pancreatic cancer which have largely not been studied for differences between racial groups. We present a study examining differences in blood levels between Black and non-Black patients and their effects on overall survival.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study. One hundred sixty-three patients were confirmed to carry a tissue diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and included in analysis; 27 of the patients were self-identified as "Black"; 136 were analyzed together as "Non-Black" with the majority identifying as "White". Various blood markers were drawn at the time of diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression models were used to examine differences in these factors between Black and non-Black patients, as well as their effect on overall survival.

RESULTS

Black patients were younger at diagnosis (p = 0.001) and were more likely to experience significant weight loss leading up to diagnosis (p = 0.009); Black patients also had a lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p = 0.001) and higher lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) (p = 0.001) at diagnosis. In multivariable analysis, an NLR > 3.5 had a significantly negative impact on overall survival (p = 0.002), as did the presence of metastatic disease (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Black patients demonstrated a "favorable" white blood cell profile (higher LMR, lower NLR) compared with non-Black patients. This may suggest that the immune response in pancreatic adenocarcinoma is not what is driving disparately poor outcomes in Black patients. Further study is warranted to ascertain the role of immune response in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the prognostic use of these measurements at diagnosis, and possible other factors, such as genetics, which may better explain poorer outcomes in Black patients.

Assessment of Preoperative Clinicophysiologic Findings as Risk Factors for Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula After Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Objective

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the severe complications that develop after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This study aimed to assess the utility of preoperative clinicophysiologic findings as risk factors for POPF after PD.

Summary of Background Data

We enrolled 350 patients who underwent PD between 2007 and 2012 at Tokyo Women's Medical University.

Methods

In total, 350 patients who underwent PD between 2007 and 2012 were examined retrospectively. All patients were classified into 2 groups as follows: group A (no fistula/biochemical leak group, 289 patients) and group B (grade B/C of POPF group 61 patients). Variables, including operative characteristics, length of stay in hospital, morbidity, mortality, and data regarding preoperative clinicophysiologic parameters, were collected and analyzed as predictors of POPF for univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

There were 213 male and 137 female patients. The mean age was 65.4 years (range, 21–87 years). Univariate analysis showed that sex (P = 0.047), amylase level (P = 0.032), prognostic nutritional index (PNI; P = 0.001), and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (P = 0.005) were independent risk factors for POPF. In contrast, multivariate analysis showed that sex (P = 0.045) and PNI (P = 0.012) were independent risk factors for POPF.

Conclusions

Our results show that PNI (≤48.64 U/mL) and male sex were risk factors for POPF after PD, and especially, PNI can be suggested as an effective biomarker for POPF.

Prognostic and clinical significance of modified glasgow prognostic score in pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis of 4,629 patients

In this study, we evaluated the association of modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) with prognosis in pancreatic cancer (PC) by performing a meta-analysis. Potentially eligible studies were shortlisted by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. A total of 4,629 patients with PC from 25 studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model or fixed-effect model according to heterogeneity. We pooled the hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate the association between mGPS and overall survival (OS). The results showed that elevated mGPS correlated with poor OS in patients with PC (HR=1.92, 95% CI=1.60–2.30, p<0.002). In addition, subgroup analysis indicated that increased mGPS remained a significant prognostic factor irrespective of the study design, region, disease status, treatment, survival analysis, cancer type, study center, or the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score (all p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between higher mGPS and male gender (Odds ratio [OR]=1.30, 95% CI=1.01–1.67, p=0.038). Elevated pretreatment mGPS is a marker of poor prognosis in patients with PC. As an easily available and cost-effective inflammatory parameter, mGPS can serve as a promising tool for prognostication in PC.

The Values of Several Inflammatory Markers, Including the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio, in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Treated by Curative Resection Followed by Adjuvant Chemotherapy

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the values of several systemic inflammatory markers and the prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients treated by curative resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 110 pancreatic cancer patients treated by curative resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy were reviewed for this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the clinicopathologic factors influencing the overall survival, including the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), and the direction of change of the NLR (increase or decrease) after 1 cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy, compared to the value recorded prior to the start of the chemotherapy. A multivariate analysis identified only the direction of change of the NLR after the first cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy as an independent risk factor for the overall survival (NLR decrease versus NLR increase, hazard ratio = 1.925; P = 0.044). The NLR, PLR and GPS were not identified as significant predictors of the overall survival. The direction of change of the NLR after the first cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy may help in predicting the effect of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer patients treated by curative resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.

C-Reactive Protein and Cancer-Diagnostic and Therapeutic Insights

Cancer disease describes any pathology involving uncontrolled cell growth. As cells duplicate, they can remain localized in defined tissues, forming tumor masses and altering their microenvironmental niche, or they can disseminate throughout the body in a metastatic process affecting multiple tissues and organs. As tumors grow and metastasize, they affect normal tissue integrity and homeostasis which signals the body to trigger the acute phase inflammatory response. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a predominant protein of the acute phase response; its blood levels have long been used as a minimally invasive index of any ongoing inflammatory response, including that occurring in cancer. Its diagnostic significance in assessing disease progression or remission, however, remains undefined. By considering the recent understanding that CRP exists in multiple isoforms with distinct biological activities, a unified model is advanced that describes the relevance of CRP as a mediator of host defense responses in cancer. CRP in its monomeric, modified isoform (mCRP) modulates inflammatory responses by inserting into activated cell membranes and stimulating platelet and leukocyte responses associated with acute phase responses to tumor growth. It also binds components of the extracellular matrix in involved tissues. Conversely, CRP in its pentameric isoform (pCRP), which is the form quantified in diagnostic measurements of CRP, is notably less bioactive with weak anti-inflammatory bioactivity. Its accumulation in blood is associated with a continuous, low-level inflammatory response and is indicative of unresolved and advancing disease, as occurs in cancer. Herein, a novel interpretation of the diagnostic utility of CRP is presented accounting for the unique properties of the CRP isoforms in the context of the developing pro-metastatic tumor microenvironment.

A retrospective comparative study of S-IROX and modified FOLFIRINOX for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer refractory to gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of S-IROX and modified FOLFIRINOX (mFFX) after gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel for advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) in the real world setting.

METHODS

Consecutive patients receiving S-IROX or mFFX as a second-line chemotherapy for advanced PC refractory to gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel were retrospectively studied. Patients were treated every 2 weeks: S-1 40 mg/m² was administered orally twice daily on days 1 to 7 in S-IROX and 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m² was intravenously administered for 46 h without bolus infusion in mFFX, in addition to intravenous oxaliplatin 85 mg/m² and irinotecan 150 mg/m² on day 1 in both regimens.

RESULTS

Fifty-four patients with advanced PC who received S-IROX (n = 19) or mFFX (n = 35) were retrospectively studied. The disease control rate and response rate were 73.7% and 10.5% in the S-IROX group and 62.2% and 2.7% in the mFFX group, respectively. The median progression free survival (PFS) was 7.8 and 5.7 months in the S-IROX and mFFX groups (p = 0.24). The median overall survival (OS) was 14.2 and 11.5 months in the S-IROX and mFFX groups (p = 0.34). There were no significant differences in the incidences of grade 3-4 adverse effects. The subgroup analyses suggested S-IROX demonstrated favorable OS in patients with PFS ≥6 months of first-line gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (p for interaction = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

S-IROX and mFFX were similarly tolerable and effective as a second-line chemotherapy in patients with PC refractory to gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel.

The prognostic value of modified Glasgow Prognostic Score in pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis

Background

Several studies were conducted to explore the prognostic value of modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) in pancreatic cancer, which reported contradictory results. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to summarize and further investigate the correlation between mGPS and overall survival (OS) in pancreatic cancer.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane library databases and OVID to identify eligible studies published from Jan 1, 2011 to June 20, 2020. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to detect the prognostic significance of mGPS in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Results

A total of 222 non-repetitive studies were identified, and 20 related studies that explored the association between survival outcomes and mGPS in pancreatic cancer patients were finally enrolled in this meta-analysis. The results showed a significant correlation between high level of mGPS and poor OS (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.20-1.89, P < 0.0001). Similar results were observed in the subgroup analyses based on the treatment regimen and research region.

Conclusions

Our study suggested the close association between poor prognosis and high level of mGPS, which will be helpful for future clinical applications in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Efficacy of the physiobiological parameter-based grading system for predicting the long-term prognosis after curative surgery for resectable pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Several prognostic scoring systems based on cancer-related inflammation have been developed. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel physiobiological parameter-based grading system (PGS) for predicting the long-term prognosis after curative-intent surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

One-hundred fifty-nine consecutive patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Patients were stratified according to the PGS score with a cut-off value of 40.5 being estimated by receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. Propensity score matching analysis (PSM) was performed to compare between patients with low and high scores in the physiobiological parameter-based grading system.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed that CEA elevation (p = 0.032), tumor size ≥20 mm (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), high-PGS (p < 0.001), CA19-9 elevation (p < 0.001), Prognostic nutritious index (PNI) ≤40 (p = 0.002) and positive Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) (p = 0.001) were risk factors for poor overall survival. CEA elevation (p = 0.006), Tumor size ≥20 mm (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), high-PGS (p < 0.001), CA19-9 elevation (p < 0.001), PNI ≤40 (p = 0.017) and positive GPS (p < 0.001) were identified as risk factors for poor recurrence-free survival. The multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size ≥20 mm (p = 0.007, p = 0.008, respectively) and high PGS score (p = 0.041, p = 0.018, respectively) were independently associated with poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Patients with high-PGS showed a significantly worse long-term prognosis even after PSM.

CONCLUSION

The PGS is a novel nomogram that could effectively predict long-term outcomes following curative surgery in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Preoperative Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Factor for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Various inflammatory markers have been investigated for a prognostic role in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. However, the value of preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) remains controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of PLR as a preoperative prognostic factor for resectable pancreatic cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Systematic literature search was conducted for studies assessing PLR influence as a preoperative prognostic factor in resectable pancreatic cancer patients. Random-effects model was applied for pooling hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals related to overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Fourteen articles with 2,743 patients were included in the study. According to the analysis, high PLR had no correlation with decreased OS. Due to high heterogeneity among studies, subgroup analysis was performed. Better OS was associated with low PLR in Asian patients, patients with mixed type of operation performed, and patients with preoperative PLR ≤150. Low PLR was associated with significantly better DFS.

CONCLUSIONS

PLR is a predictive factor of better DFS in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. However, available evidence does not support PLR as a reliable prognostic factor for OS.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia as a prognostic factor in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) is a common adverse event of chemotherapy. Several reports have suggested that CIN could be an important prognostic factor in chemotherapy of various cancers. However, whether CIN is a prognostic factor in unresectable pancreatic cancer (PC) treated with gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) is unknown. The primary endpoint of this study was to compare overall survival (OS) between patients with severe CIN (grade ≥ 3) and those with absent/mild CIN (grade ≤ 2) in unresectable PC cases treated with GnP as first-line chemotherapy.

METHODS

A retrospective, cohort study was conducted using data from a computerized database. A total of 290 patients with pathologically confirmed PC treated with GnP as first-line chemotherapy were analyzed (severe CIN: ≥ grade 3, n = 174; absent/mild CIN: ≤ grade 2, n = 116).

RESULTS

The median OS was longer in the severe CIN group than in the absent/mild CIN group (19.2 months vs 11.3 months, respectively; P < 0.001). After adjustment, severe CIN was an independent predictive factor for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.74; P < 0.001). After adjustment by time-varying covariates, severe CIN was still a significant prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.79; 95% CI 0.69-0.91, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The present results show that severe CIN is an independent and useful prognostic factor in PC patients treated with GnP.

Prognostic Significance of the Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The prognostic value of the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) in patients with pancreatic cancer is controversial, based on previous studies. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between mGPS and prognosis in pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

The databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify eligible studies. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the associations between mGPS score and survival outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 26 studies with 5198 patients were included in this meta-analysis. In a pooled analysis, elevated mGPS predicted poorer overall survival (OS; HR = 1.98, 95% CI, 1.65-2.37, P < .001). In addition, elevated mGPS was also significantly associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS; HR = 1.95, 95% CI, 1.36-2.80, P < .001). Subgroup analyses confirmed a significant association between mGPS and survival outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis demonstrated that high mGPS was correlated to worse OS, PFS, DFS, and CSS in patients with pancreatic cancer. Therefore, mGPS could be employed as an effective prognostic factor for pancreatic cancer in clinical practice.

Squamous trans-differentiation of pancreatic cancer cells promotes stromal inflammation

A highly aggressive subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas undergo trans-differentiation into the squamous lineage during disease progression. Here, we investigated whether squamous trans-differentiation of human and mouse pancreatic cancer cells can influence the phenotype of non-neoplastic cells in the tumor microenvironment. Conditioned media experiments revealed that squamous pancreatic cancer cells secrete factors that recruit neutrophils and convert pancreatic stellate cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that express inflammatory cytokines at high levels. We use gain- and loss-of-function approaches to show that squamous-subtype pancreatic tumor models become enriched with neutrophils and inflammatory CAFs in a p63-dependent manner. These effects occur, at least in part, through p63-mediated activation of enhancers at pro-inflammatory cytokine loci, which includes IL1A and CXCL1 as key targets. Taken together, our findings reveal enhanced tissue inflammation as a consequence of squamous trans-differentiation in pancreatic cancer, thus highlighting an instructive role of tumor cell lineage in reprogramming the stromal microenvironment.

Prognostic Significance of C-reactive Protein-to-prealbumin Ratio in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Background

The prognostic value of combination of C-reactive protein and prealbumin (CRP/PAlb) in esophageal cancer remains unclear.

Methods

We enrolled 167 esophageal cancer patients who underwent curative esophagectomy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the prognostic significance of various markers, including CRP-to-albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio, modified Glasgow prognostic score, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and prognostic nutritional index.

Results

Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed the optimal cut-off value of each inflammatory factor, and CRP/PAlb ratio had the greatest discriminative power in predicting recurrence-free survival (RFS) among the examined measures (AUC 0.668). The 5-year overall survival and RFS rates were significantly lower in patients with high CRP/PAlb ratio than in those with low CRP/PAlb ratio (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively). In the univariate analysis, RFS was significantly worse in patients with low BMI, T2 or deeper tumor invasion, positive lymph node metastasis, positive venous invasion, high CRP/PAlb ratio, high CRP/Alb ratio, high NLR, and high LMR. Multivariate analysis revealed that CRP/PAlb, but not CRP/Alb, was an independent prognostic factor along with lymph node metastasis.

Conclusion

CRP/PAlb ratio was useful for predicting the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients.

Changes in conditional net survival and dynamic prognostic factors in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer initially treated with androgen deprivation therapy

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to identify predictive factors associated with conditional net survival in patients with metastatic hormone-naive prostate cancer (mHNPC) initially treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

METHODS

At nine hospitals in Tohoku, Japan, the medical records of 605 consecutive patients with mHNPC who initially received ADT were retrospectively reviewed. The Pohar Perme estimator was used to calculate conditional net cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) for up to 5 years subsequent to the diagnosis. Using multiple imputation, proportional hazard ratios for conditional CSS and OS were calculated with adjusted Cox regression models.

RESULTS

During a median follow up of 2.95 years, 208 patients died, of which 169 died due to progressive prostate cancer. At baseline, the 5-year CSS and OS rates were 65.5% and 58.2%, respectively. Conditional 5-year net CSS and OS survival gradually increased for all the patients. In patients given a 5-year survivorship, the conditional 5-year net CSS and OS rates improved to 0.906 and 0.811, respectively. Only the extent of disease score (EOD) ≥2 remained a prognostic factor for CSS and OS up to 5 years; as survival time increased, other variables were no longer independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The conditional 5-year net CSS and OS in patients with mHNPC gradually increased; thus, the risk of mortality decreased with increasing survival. The patient's risk profile changed over time. EOD remained an independent prognostic factor for CSS and OS after 5-year follow-up. Conditional net survival can play a role in clinical decision-making, providing intriguing information for cancer survivors.

Prognostic significance of early changes in serum biomarker levels in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer

We evaluated the impact of early changes in serum biomarker levels on the survival of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) who were initially treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). We retrospectively investigated 330 patients with mHSPC whose serum maker levels were at baseline and at 2–4 months. An optimal Cox regression model was established with the highest optimism-corrected concordance index based on 10-fold cross-validation. The median cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were 7.08 and 6.47 years (median follow-up, 2.53 years), respectively. In the final optimal Cox model with serum biomarker levels treated as time-varying covariates, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), hemoglobin (Hb), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) significantly increased the risk of poor survival in the context of both CSS and OS. Kaplan–Meier curves stratified by the three risk factors of high PSA, low Hb and high ALP desmondtated that median OS were not reached with none of these factors, 6.47 years with one or two factors, and 1.76 years with all three factors.Early changes in serum biomarker levels after ADT may be good prognostic markers for the survival of patients with mHSPC.

Prognostic significance of peripheral blood-derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in patients with digestive cancer

Accumulating studies reported the clinical value of derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) regarding the prediction of survival outcomes in digestive cancers, however, the prognostic significances of dNLR in these cancers were inconsistent. This study was carried out to clarify the relationship between circulating dNLR and prognosis in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Eligible publications were collected and extracted by searching Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to November 21, 2018. The prognostic impact of dNLR in subjects with GI cancers was assessed with the overall hazard ratios (HRs). A total of 26 studies with up to 13,945 participants were recruited. Our findings showed that peripheral blood dNLR before treatment could be a useful prognostic predictor in digestive cancers, an elevated dNLR indicated a shorter overall survival (OS) in GI tumors (HR, 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-1.51). Furthermore, its significant prognostic value for OS was also confirmed in subgroup analyses stratified by disease type, publication year, type of research, detection method, geographic location, cut-off value, treatment, analysis type, follow-up time and disease stage. In addition, high dNLR was significantly associated with worse cancer-specific survival (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04-1.47) and inferior event-free survival (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11-1.33) in patients with digestive cancers. Our study showed elevated peripheral blood dNLR may indicate unfavorable outcomes in digestive cancer.

Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts malignancy and recurrence-free survival of solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammatory markers such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been shown to be prognostic for many types of pancreatic malignancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic role of these markers in patients with solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (SPTP).

METHODS

Patients who underwent surgical resection for histologically confirmed SPTP were retrospectively reviewed in our institution. Preoperative NLR and PLR were calculated. Clinicopathologic data were correlated with the presence of malignant potential and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

RESULTS

A total of 113 patients with SPTP were included in this study. Of them, 23 were men and 90 were women, with a median age of 35 years (interquartile range, 25-44). The optimal cut-off values for malignant SPTP were 3.22 for NLR, and 75.5 for PLR, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that high NLR (>3.22) and white blood cell count more than 9.96 × 10⁹ /L were predictive of a malignant SPTP. Meanwhile, high NLR (P = 0.001) and age more than 35 years (P = 0.026) were associated with worse RFS. On multivariable analyses, high NLR was the only independent predictor of malignant SPTP (odd ratio 6.871; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.482-31.864; P = 0.014) and RFS (hazard ratio 12.633; 95% CI, 1.758-90.790; P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the supportive role of preoperative NLR in predicting malignancy and RFS of SPTP patients. Further studies including a larger cohort of patients are needed to corroborate our findings.

Outcome of head compared to body and tail pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 93 studies

Background

Even when resectable pancreatic cancer (PC) is associated with a dismal prognosis. Initial presentation varies according with primary tumor location. Aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the prognosis associated with site (head versus body/tail) in patients with PC.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, Web of Science, EMBASE, Google Scholar, LILACS, and CINAHL databases from inception to March 2018. Studies reporting information on the independent prognostic role of site in PC and comparing overall survival (OS) in head versus body/tail tumors were selected. Data were aggregated using hazard ratios (HRs) for OS of head versus body/tail PC according to fixed- or random-effect model.

Results

A total of 93 studies including 254,429 patients were identified. Long-term prognosis of head was better than body/tail cancers (HR =0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-0.99; P=0.02). A pooled HR of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92-0.99, P=0.02) from multivariate analysis only (n=77 publications) showed that head site was an independent prognostic factor for survival.

Conclusions

Primary tumor location in the head of the pancreas at the time of diagnosis is a predictor of better survival. Such indicator should be acknowledged when designing future studies, in particular in the operable and neoadjuvant setting.

The Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio Are Prognostic Factors in Patients with Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Chemoradiotherapy

Background/Aims

We investigated whether inflammatory markers such as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) independently and in combination would be significant prognostic factors for survival in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Methods

A total of 497 patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who received neoadjuvant or definitive chemoradiotherapy from 2005 to 2015 were evaluated. We divided the patients into groups according to the median values of NLR and PLR: NLR<1.89 (n=156), NLR≥1.89 (n=341), PLR <149 (n=248) and PLR≥149 (n=249).

Results

For NLR <1.89 and ≥1.89 groups, respectively, the 1-year overall survival (OS) rates were 73.2% and 60.8% (p<0.001) and 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 43.9% and 31.3% (p<0.001). For PLR <149 and ≥149 groups, respectively, the 1-year OS rates were 68.1% and 61.3% (p=0.029) and 1-year PFS rates were 37.9% and 32.5% (p=0.027). Patients with both high NLR and high PLR showed the worst OS and PFS rates compared with those with both lower NLR and lower PLR.

Conclusions

Elevated pretreatment NLR and PLR independently and in combination significantly predicted poor OS and PFS.

Elevation of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio before First-Line Chemotherapy Predicts a Poor Prognosis for Second-Line Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer

OBJECTIVES

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been proposed as an indicator of cancer-related inflammation. The aim of our study was to examine the prognostic value of the NLR for patients with advanced gastric cancer receiving second-line chemotherapy.

METHODS

The association of overall survival (OS) in second-line chemotherapy and the clinicopathological findings including NLR were analyzed retrospectively. The selection criteria were patients who received second-line chemotherapy between January 2010 and June 2015, had histologically confirmed gastric adenocarcinoma, and were followed up until death or for 180 days or longer.

RESULTS

Eighty-six patients met the selection criteria. Multivariate analysis revealed that performance status 2, hemoglobin < 10 g/dL, and NLR before first-line chemotherapy ≥3 were adverse predictive markers. NLR before second-line chemotherapy was not associated with OS. A prognostic model was constructed dividing patients into three groups according to the number of adverse predictive factors: good (no factor), intermediate (one factor), and poor (more than two factors). The median OS for the good, intermediate, and poor groups was 14.3, 7.2, and 4.4 months, respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with advanced gastric cancer with performance status 2, hemoglobin < 10 g/dL, and NLR before first-line chemotherapy ≥3 are not likely to benefit from second-line chemotherapy.

Prognostic Significance of the Preoperative Ratio of C-Reactive Protein to Albumin and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Gastric Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

The ratio of C-reactive protein to albumin (CRP/Alb) is a biochemical marker of systemic inflammatory response and has been associated with poor survival in cancer. This study retrospectively investigated the relationship between the CRP/Alb ratio and prognosis in gastric cancer patients.

METHODS

This study enrolled 453 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent curative surgery.

RESULTS

A statistically significant weak correlation was observed between CRP/Alb ratio and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (r = 0.19; P < 0.0001). There were statistically significant correlations between high CRP/Alb ratio and age (P = 0.0004), tumor size (P = 0.02), depth of invasion (P = 0.012), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.022). A high NLR was significantly correlated with age (P = 0.0027), tumor size (P = 0.0006), depth of invasion (P < 0.0001), lymphatic involvement (P = 0.0031), venous involvement (P = 0.0022), and stage of disease (P = 0.0024). Based on results by receiver operating characteristic analysis, patients were divided as follows: CRP/Alb ratio ≥ 0.0232 (CAR^High), CRP/Alb ratio < 0.0232 (CAR^Low), NLR ≥ 2.43 (NLR^High), and NLR < 2.43 (NLR^Low). Five-year survival rates of patients with both CAR^High and NLR^High, either CAR^High or NLR^High, and both CAR^Low and NLR^Low were 59.6, 75.8, and 87.5%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the combination of CRP/Alb ratio and NLR was an independent prognostic indicator.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of CRP/Alb ratio and NLR may be useful in predicting prognosis in gastric cancer patients.

THE ROLE OF IMMUNOINFLAMMATORY MARKERS IN THE PROGNOSIS AND RESECTABILITY OF PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma has a high mortality rate. A prognostic tool is essential for a better risk stratification. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and adaptations and the platelet/lymphocyte ratio seem promising for this purpose.

AIM

Evaluate the prognostic value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio, analyze the ideal cutoff values and investigate their utility in predicting resectability.

METHODS

Data were collected of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma in Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between 2003 and 2013. The studied ratios were determined by blood count collected at hospital admission and after two cycles of palliative chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Basal neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio did not have prognostic impact in survival (p=0.394, p=0.152, p=0.177 respectively). In subgroup analysis of patients submitted to palliative chemotherapy, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio determined after two cycles of chemotherapy were prognostic for overall survival (p=0.003, p=0.009, p=0.001 respectively). The ideal cutoff values found were 4,11 for neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (sensitivity 83%, specificity 75%), 2,8 for derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (sensitivity 87%, specificity 62,5%) and 362 for platelet/lymphocyte ratio (sensitivity 91%, specificity 62,5%), Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio were not able to predict resectability (p=0.88; p=0.99; p=0.64 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, derived neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio are useful as prognostic markers of overall survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma submitted to palliative chemotherapy. Its use as resectability predictor could not be demonstrated.

Prognostic Roles of Inflammatory Markers in Pancreatic Cancer: Comparison between the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio

Background/Objectives

This meta-analysis is aimed at investigating the prognostic roles of the inflammatory markers neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods

The correlations between high inflammatory marker expression levels and prognosis in 7105 patients with pancreatic cancer from 34 eligible studies were investigated. Additionally, subgroup analyses based on study location, tumor stage, treatment, and value cutoffs were performed.

Results

High NLR and PLR values were considered to be 2.0–5.0 and 150–200, respectively. Using a random-effects model, the estimated rates of high NLR and PLR were 0.379 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.310–0.454) and 0.490 (95% CI 0.438–0.543), respectively. High NLRs were frequently found in patients with lower tumor stages and in those who underwent surgery. There were significant correlations between high NLR and PLR and poor survival rates (hazard ratio [HR] 1.737, 95% CI 1.502–2.009 and HR 1.143, 95% CI 1.037–1.259, resp.). Interestingly, the NLR and PLR had no prognostic value in patients who underwent chemoradiotherapy.

Conclusion

Taken together, our results showed that inflammatory markers are useful for predicting prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. The NLR is a more suitable parameter for predicting prognosis regardless of the patient's condition.

Non-linear association between long-term outcome and preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients undergoing curative resection for gastric cancer: a retrospective analysis of 1335 cases in a tetrachotomous manner

Objective

Although the prognostic utility of the pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been widely reported for gastric cancer and several other malignancies, the optimal patient stratification methodologies for such analyses have yet to be established. We aimed to examine the predictive value of preoperative NLR in patients with operable gastric cancer, and to elucidate whether or not the relationship between long-term outcome and pretreatment NLR is monotonically linear.

Methods

Preoperative data from 1335 patients who underwent curative surgery for gastric cancer were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided into four groups (Q1-Q4) according to preoperative NLR (1.59, 2.11 and 2.96). Survival time was calculated applying the Cox proportional hazard model to both univariate and multivariate estimates.

Results

On univariate Cox regression analysis, preoperative NLR was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). On subsequent multivariate analysis, preoperative NLR, as a tetrachotomous variable, was independently associated with OS and RFS (P = 0.028, 0.023, respectively). When comparing Q1 with Q3 or Q4 in multivariate analysis, there were no significant prognostic differences in OS (P = 0.23, 0.37, respectively) and RFS (P = 0.26, 0.46, respectively). The Q2 group showed significantly longer RFS than the Q1 group (hazard ratio 0.69, 95% confidence interval 0.48-0.99, P = 0.048).

Conclusions

Although preoperative NLR was significantly associated with long-term outcome in gastric cancer patients, the association was not linear.

Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognosticator in early stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which reflects the cancer-induced systemic inflammation response, has been proposed as a risk factor for poor long-term prognosis in cancer. We investigated the prognostic role of the NLR and the relationship between the NLR and TNM stage in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients following curative resection.

METHODS

One-hundred thirty-eight consecutive patients with resected PDAC were enrolled between 2004 and 2014. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified variables associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Patients were stratified according to the NLR, with an NLR cut-off value of 2.2 being estimated by receiver operating characteristic curve.

RESULTS

Compared to patients with a low NLR (≤2.2), those with a high preoperative NLR (>2.2) had worse OS and RFS (P = 0.017, P = 0.029, respectively). For early-stage tumors, tumor size ≥20 mm and a high NLR were independent risk factors for poor OS (hazard ratio (HR): 3.255, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.082-9.789, P = 0.036; HR: 3.690, 95% CI: 1.026-13.272, P = 0.046, respectively) and RFS (HR: 3.575, 95% CI: 1.174-10.892, P = 0.025; HR: 5.380, 95% CI: 1.587-18.234, P = 0.007, respectively). The NLR was not correlated with prognosis in patients with advanced stages.

CONCLUSIONS

An elevated preoperative NLR was an important prognosticator for early TNM stage PDAC. The NLR, which is calculated using inexpensive and readily available biomarkers, could be a novel tool for predicting long-term survival in patients, especially those with early stage PDAC.

Prognostic value of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in pancreatic cancer: a comprehensive meta-analysis of 17 cohort studies

Background and aims

Several studies were conducted to explore the prognostic value of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in pancreatic cancer and have reported contradictory results. This study aims to summarize the prognostic role of PLR in pancreatic cancer.

Materials and methods

Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Library were completely searched. The cohort studies focusing on the prognostic role of PLR in pancreatic cancer were eligible. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.

Results

Fifteen papers containing 17 cohort studies with pancreatic cancer were identified. The results showed patients that with low PLR might have longer OS when compared to the patients with high PLR (hazard ratio=1.28, 95% CI=1.17–1.40, P<0.00001; I²=42%). Similar results were observed in the subgroup analyses of OS, which was based on the analysis model, ethnicity, sample size and cut-off value. Further analyses based on the adjusted potential confounders were conducted, including CA199, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, modified Glasgow Prognostic Score, albumin, C-reactive protein, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, stage, tumor size, nodal involvement, tumor differentiation, margin status, age and gender, which confirmed that low PLR was a protective factor in pancreatic cancer. In addition, low PLR was significantly associated with longer PFS when compared to high PLR in pancreatic cancer (hazard ratio=1.27, 95% CI=1.03–1.57, P=0.03; I²=33%).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it was found that high PLR is an unfavorable predictor of OS and PFS in patients with pancreatic cancer, and PLR is a promising prognostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as prognostic indicator in gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

An accurate, time efficient, and inexpensive prognostic indicator is needed to reduce cost and assist with clinical decision making for cancer management. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which is derived from common serum testing, has been explored in a variety of cancers. We sought to determine its prognostic value in gastrointestinal cancers and performed a meta-analysis of published studies using the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Included were randomized control trials and observational studies that analyzed humans with gastrointestinal cancers that included NLR and hazard ratios (HR) with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and/or cancer-specific survival (CSS).

We analyzed 144 studies comprising 45,905 patients, two-thirds of which were published after 2014. The mean, median, and mode cutoffs for NLR reporting OS from multivariate models were 3.4, 3.0, 5.0 (±IQR 2.5-5.0), respectively. Overall, NLR greater than the cutoff was associated with a HR for OS of 1.63 (95% CI, 1.53-1.73; P < 0.001). This association was observed in all subgroups based on tumor site, stage, and geographic region. HR for elevated NLR for DFS, PFS, and CSS were 1.70 (95% CI, 1.52-1.91, P < 0.001), 1.64 (95% CI, 1.36-1.97, P < 0.001), and 1.83 (95% CI, 1.50-2.23, P < 0.001), respectively.

Available evidence suggests that NLR greater than the cutoff reduces OS, independent of geographic location, gastrointestinal cancer type, or stage of cancer. Furthermore, DFS, PFS, and CSS also have worse outcomes with elevated NLR.

Albumin and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Predict Survival in Patients With Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Treated With SBRT

PURPOSE

To determine if pretreatment nutritional status and inflammatory markers correlate with survival in patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 208 patients with newly diagnosed, locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with SBRT at our institution from 2002 to 2014. Laboratory values were collected before SBRT, including hemoglobin, platelets, albumin, red blood cell, white blood cell, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and tumor markers CA 19-9 and CEA. Patients were followed every 3 months with computed tomography (CT) and/or positron emission tomography-CT imaging to monitor for local recurrence and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Median follow-up after SBRT was 7.5 months (interquartile range, 4.6 to 12.0 mo) for all patients. Median OS for patients with NLR>5 compared with NLR≤5 was 6.9 and 8.5 months, respectively (P=0.0057). On univariate analysis, receipt of chemotherapy (P=0.05, hazard ratio [HR]=0.69), increased albumin (P=0.002, HR=0.64), increased red blood cell (P=0.05, HR=0.75), increased lymphocyte count (P=0.002, HR=0.66), decreased CEA (P=0.01, HR=0.96), and NLR≤5 (P=0.01, HR=0.65) correlated with improved OS. On multivariate analysis, higher albumin (P=0.03, HR=0.70), receipt of chemotherapy (P=0.007, HR=0.56), and NLR≤5 (P=0.02, HR=0.66) correlated with better survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Preradiotherapy low albumin levels and NLR>5 correlate with decreased survival in patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with SBRT, indicating the prognostic value of systemic inflammatory markers (such as NLR) and a role of nutritional supplementation to improve outcomes in these patients. Further investigation is warranted.

Prognostic value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in Crohn's disease

Background

The Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio has recently gained increased attention as a prognostic marker for malignant disease and short term outcomes. There is little data available in patients with Crohn’s disease, thus the present study was conducted to correlate preoperative Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio values with disease phenotype and postoperative course.

Methods

We comprised 373 patients, who underwent intestinal resection for symptomatic Crohn’s disease at an academic tertiary referral centre between 2000 and 2014. Preoperative Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio values were calculated and analyzed in regard to disease phenotype and 30-day morbidity rate. All relevant data were obtained from the institutional database and individual chart review.

Results

Male patients had significantly higher preoperative Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio values compared to female patients (5 vs. 4; p = 0.0075). A higher Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio was also found in patients with an acute indication for surgery (6.15 vs. 4.3; p = 0.0374), presenting with abscesses (5.36 vs. 4.28; p = 0.0254), inflammatory masses (5.23 vs. 4.08; p = 0.0294) or malignancy in the resected specimen (9.06 vs. 4.35, p = 0.0231). Surprisingly, patients developing postsurgical complications showed significantly lower Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio values (3.77 vs. 4.67; p = 0.0461).

Conclusions

Elevated preoperative Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio in symptomatic Crohn’s disease is not predictive for complications. However, Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio showed a significant correlation with specific disease phenotypes. Most strikingly, Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte-ratio was highly elevated in patients with a colorectal cancer in the resected specimen, which needs to be addressed in future studies.

Prognostic role of platelet to lymphocyte ratio in pancreatic cancers: A meta-analysis including 3028 patients

BACKGROUND

Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was recently reported being associated with the prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PC), but the prognostic value of PLR in pancreatic cancer remains inconsistent. We conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of PLR in patients with PC.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched for eligible studies which investigated the relationship between PLR and clinical outcome of patients with pancreatic cancer. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the prognostic role of PLR in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS)/time to progression (TTP).

RESULTS

A total of 16 studies comprising 3028 patients with PC were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Pooled analysis demonstrated that elevated PLR predicted a poor OS (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.09-1.36, P < .001). Prognostic role of PLR on OS were significant in subgroup of Asians (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11-1.34, P < .001), patients treated with chemotherapy (HR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.04-1.35, P = .01) and mixed methods (HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.07-1.57, P = .009), American joint committee on cancer (AJCC) stage of III-IV (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.09-1.36, P < .001), pathological subtype of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08-1.36, P = .001), and cut-off value of PLR ≥160 (HR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.25-1.75, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

An elevated PLR is associated with unfavorable overall survival in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Span-1 and CA19-9 as Predictors of Early Recurrence and Lymph Node Metastasis for Patients with Invasive Pancreatic Cancer after Pancreatectomy

Because pancreatic cancer is a disease with a dismal prognosis due to the high rate of early recurrence even after curative surgery, selecting the most effective treatment in an individual requires pre-operative assessment of the tumor characteristics, including the potential for early recurrence. The study cohort included 84 patients undergoing surgical resection of pancreatic cancer. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify the risk factors for early recurrence within six months after curative resection. Early recurrence was associated with a platelet-lymphocyte ratio ≥0.23 ( P = 0.04), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) ≥200 ( P = 0.01), and S-pancreas-1 antigen (Span-1) ≥37 ( P = 0.0004) by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis identified CA19-9 ≥200 and Span-1 ≥37 as independent risk factors for early recurrence. Patients with both risk factors had a significantly higher rate of lymph node metastasis than those with no or one risk factor. Span-1 ≥ 37 and CA19-9 ≥ 200 are independent risk factors for early recurrence in patients who underwent surgical resection, and the combination of Span-1 ≥37 and CA19-9 ≥200 is a useful indicator of lymph node metastasis.

Combined pretreatment serum CA19-9 and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a potential prognostic factor in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients

The aim of this study was to explore the role of combined pretreatment serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as potential prognostic factors in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.We investigated pretreatment serum CA19-9 and NLR in 59 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, determined the patients' thresholds by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and assessed their prognostic values by Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression models.Results of multivariate analysis showed high CA19-9, high NLR, and high score (the scoring system of CA19-9 and NLR) were significantly correlated with overall survival. Area under the curve of the scoring system was higher than that of CA19-9 or NLR.Combined pretreatment serum CA19-9 and NLR is a better prognostic biomarker of metastatic pancreatic cancer patients than CA19-9 or NLR alone.

Prognostic role of the pre-treatment platelet-lymphocyte ratio in pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis

Background and Aims

Recently, the pre-treatment platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), which is based on blood parameters, was accepted as a prognostic factor for patients with various cancers. Numerous studies have investigated the prognostic role of the PLR in pancreatic cancer; however, it remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between the pre-treatment PLR and overall survival (OS) in pancreatic cancer.

Materials and Methods

We performed a systematic literature search of the PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases for relevant studies that explored the prognostic role of the pre-treatment PLR in pancreatic cancer. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) related to OS were pooled using a random effects model.

Results

Fourteen retrospective cohort studies involving 2,260 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with low PLR, high PLR was a predictor of shorter OS (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.10–1.39, I² = 74%).

Conclusions

In this meta-analysis, high pre-treatment PLR was a bio-predictor of short OS in patients with pancreatic cancer, suggesting that PLR could be used to predict prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer before treatment. However, additional well-designed and large-scale studies are necessary.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia as a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine

PURPOSE

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and an important dose-limiting factor. However, an association between CIN development and longer survival was recently reported in several solid cancers. In the present study, we aimed to assess whether CIN could be a prognostic factor and clarify other prognostic factors for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 84 patients who received gemcitabine monotherapy as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer to assess whether CIN could be a prognostic factor. Potential prognostic factors of survival were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model, respectively.

RESULTS

Median survival time was 170 days [95% confidence interval (CI), 147-193] in patients without CIN (grade 0), 301 days (95% CI, 152-450) in patients with grade 1-2 CIN, and 406 days (95% CI, 271-541) in patients with grade 3 CIN. The multivariate analysis revealed that a pretreatment C-reactive protein level of <0.50 mg/dL [hazard ratio (HR), 0.534; 95% CI, 0.323-0.758, P = 0.015] and grade 3 CIN (HR, 0.447; 95% CI, 0.228-0.875, P = 0.019) were independent favorable prognostic factors in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine.

CONCLUSIONS

Neutropenia during chemotherapy was associated with increased survival of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Monitoring of CIN could be used to predict treatment responsiveness.

Assessment of a prognostic model, PSA metrics and toxicities in metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer using data from Project Data Sphere (PDS)

Background

Prognostic models in metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) may have clinical utility. Using data from PDS, we aimed to 1) validate a contemporary prognostic model (Templeton et al., 2014) 2) evaluate prognostic impact of concomitant medications and PSA decrease 3) evaluate factors associated with docetaxel toxicity.

Methods

We accessed data on 2,449 mCRPC patients in PDS. The existing model was validated with a continuous risk score, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and corresponding time-dependent Area under the Curve (tAUC). The prognostic effects of concomitant medications and PSA response were assessed by Cox proportional hazards models. One year tAUC was calculated for multivariable prognostic model optimized to our data. Conditional logistic regression models were used to assess associations with grade 3/4 adverse events (G3/4 AE) at baseline and after cycle 1 of treatment.

Results

Despite limitations of the PDS data set, the existing model was validated; one year AUC, was 0.68 (95% CI 95% CI, .66 to .71) to 0.78 (95%CI, .74 to .81) depending on the subset of datasets used. A new model was constructed with an AUC of .74 (.72 to .77). Concomitant medications low molecular weight heparin and warfarin were associated with poorer survival, Metformin and Cox2 inhibitors were associated with better outcome. PSA response was associated with survival, the effect of which was greatest early in follow-up. Age was associated with baseline risk of G3/4 AE. The odds of experiencing G3/4 AE later on in treatment were significantly greater for subjects who experienced a G3/4 AE in their first cycle (OR 3.53, 95% CI 2.53–4.91, p < .0001).

Conclusion

Despite heterogeneous data collection protocols, PDS provides access to large datasets for novel outcomes analysis. In this paper, we demonstrate its utility for validating existing models and novel model generation including the utility of concomitant medications in outcome analyses, as well as the effect of PSA response on survival and toxicity prediction.

Performance status and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio are important prognostic factors in elderly patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

The usefulness of various prognostic factors for pancreatic cancer (PC) has been reported, but the number of elderly patients in these studies is disproportionately fewer compared with those in everyday practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic factors for unresectable PC in elderly patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 67 elderly (age ≥75 years) patients with unresectable PC who underwent chemotherapy between January 2006 and December 2014 at our hospital. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were applied to investigate independent prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis revealed that an increased neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) [hazard ratio (HR) 1.91, P=0.03] and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 2 (HR 2.74, P=0.01) were independent negative prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The two prognostic factors identified herein are useful in the identification of patients with a poor prognosis and subsequent administration of supportive care alone, which may help avoid the unnecessary adverse effects and complications of systemic chemotherapy.

Prognostic Value of the CRP/Alb Ratio, a Novel Inflammation-Based Score in Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

The C-reactive protein/albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio is associated with outcome in septic patients. However, as an inflammation-based score, its prognostic value for cancer has scarcely been investigated.

METHODS

Between February 2010 and January 2015, we enrolled 386 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Univariate and multivariate survival analysis between the groups were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristics curves were generated and areas under the curve (AUC) were compared to evaluate the discriminatory ability of the inflammation-based prognostic scoring systems, including CRP/Alb ratio, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS).

RESULTS

The optimal cutoff level of the CRP/Alb ratio was defined as 0.180. The prognosis of patients with CRP/Alb ratio ≥0.180 was significantly worse than CRP/Alb ratio <0.180 in univariate analysis (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the CRP/Alb ratio was still associated with overall survival (p < 0.001). In addition, the CRP/Alb ratio had significantly higher AUC values compared with PLR (6, 12, and 24 months: p < 0.001, 0.017, 0.012) and mGPS (6, 12, and 24 months: p = 0.002, 0.020, 0.046) and had similar AUC values to NLR (6, 12, and 24 months: p = 0.052, 0.139, 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study demonstrated the CRP/Alb ratio may serve as a significant and promising inflammatory prognostic score in pancreatic cancer. An elevated CRP/Alb ratio is an independent factor for poor prognosis with the cutoff value of 0.180.

Prognostic value of preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is superior to platelet-lymphocyte ratio for survival in patients who underwent complete resection of thymic carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have prognostic value in patients with various operable tumors. The aim of our study was to determine whether NLR and PLR are predictive of survival in thymic carcinoma patients after complete resection.

METHODS

A total of seventy-nine patients who underwent complete resection of thymic carcinoma at our hospital between January 2005 and December 2015 were retrospectively enrolled. Differential leukocyte counts were collected before surgery, and the relationships of NLR, PLR, and other patient clinical variables with survival were estimated by Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis found that a high level of NLR was associated with lower disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 3.385, 95% CI: 1.073-10.678, P=0.037) and lower overall survival (OS) (HR: 12.836, 95% CI: 1.615-101.990, P=0.016). The optimal NLR threshold of 4.1 could stratify the patients with high risk of recurrence or metastasis (P=0.026) and death (P=0.006). Meanwhile, the NLR value of >4.1 in those patients was associated with bigger tumor size (P=0.035) and more advanced Masaoka stages (P=0.040) compared with NLR ≤4.1. However, the PLR and other variables were not significantly associated with survival in thymic carcinoma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative NLR of >4.1 was significantly associated with larger tumor size, more advanced Masaoka stages and reduced DFS and OS, but was not an independent predictor of survival in thymic carcinoma patients after complete resection.

Usefulness of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer

Purpose

We aimed to investigate the relationship between pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)/platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the estimation of hormone-receptor-negative (HR−) breast cancer patients’ survival in a Chinese cohort.

Patients and methods

Of 434 consecutive HR− nonmetastatic breast cancer patients treated between 2004 and 2010 in the Affiliated Hospital of Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 318 eligible cases with complete data were included in the present study. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to determine the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to test the usefulness of NLR and PLR.

Results

Univariate analysis indicated that both elevated NLR and PLR (both P<0.001) were associated with poor OS. The utility of NLR remained in the multivariate analysis (P<0.001), but not PLR (P=0.104). The analysis results for DFS were almost the same as OS. Subgroup analysis revealed a significant association between increased NLR and PLR (P<0.001 and P=0.011) and poor survival in triple-negative breast cancer. However, for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer, only NLR was significantly associated with OS in the multivariate analysis (P=0.001).

Conclusion

The present study indicates that both increased NLR and PLR are associated with poor survival in HR−breast cancer patients. Meanwhile, NLR is independently correlated with OS and DFS, but PLR is not.