Significant host- and tumor-related factors for predicting prognosis in patients with esophageal carcinoma

Clinical significance of the modified Naples prognostic score in patients with stage II-III colon cancer undergoing curative resection: a retrospective study from the real world

Background

The Naples prognostic score (NPS) determined by the nutritional and inflammatory condition of an individual is attracting growing attention for predicting postoperative outcomes in a variety of malignancies. The study aimed to assess the clinical significance of a modified NPS (M-NPS) and establish and validate nomograms incorporating M-NPS in curative stage II-III colon cancer patients.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 328 stage II-III colon cancer patients receiving radical surgical resection at our hospital from January 2011 to December 2016. Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were executed for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Independent predictive indicators were applied to develop nomograms. The model's performance was evaluated using many different methods.

Results

Of a total of 328 cases, 153 cases were in group 0, 145 in group 1, and 30 in group 2. In terms of OS or CSS, there were obvious differences between groups 0 and 1, and between groups 0 and 2. Age, obstruction, N stage, gross tumor type, and M-NPS group were independent prognostic indicators for OS, while obstruction, gross tumor type, M-NPS group, and N stage were independent predictive parameters for CSS. Furthermore, the training and validation sets were randomly allocated among a cohort of 328 patients. OS and CSS prediction nomograms were developed. In the training and validation cohort, the C-index and ROC analysis showed good discrimination, calibration curves exhibited an excellent level of consistency between model-predicted survival and actual survival outcomes, and DCA curves demonstrated good clinical performance.

Conclusion

M-NPS is a reliable survival predictor in patients with curative stage II-III colon cancer. Nomograms incorporating M-NPS for OS and CSS have good predictive performance and clinical utility.

An excessive weight loss percentage over the two years before treatment is an independent prognostic factor for operated patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the weight loss percentage (WLP) over the 2 years pre-treatment for operated patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This cohort study included 506 operated patients who were diagnosed with advanced primary OSCC between October 2001 and March 2022, and who were followed up until July 2022. Fine-Gray models, marginal structural models with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting, and Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to evaluate the prognostic significance of pre-treatment WLP for disease-specific survival (DSS). The median follow-up time was 32.6 months (interquartile range 13.0-71.6 months). A high pre-treatment WLP (>9.23%) was significantly associated with worse DSS (multivariate Fine-Gray model: hazard ratio (HR) 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-3.22, P = 0.002; multivariate Cox: HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.28-3.16, P = 0.002). In the weighted cohort, a similar association pattern was observed (marginal structural model: HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.28-3.98, P = 0.005; multivariate Cox: HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.38-3.76, P = 0.001). In subgroup analyses, high WLP could predict worse DSS among patients with buccal mucosa/other cancer sites (not including the oral tongue), moderate tumor differentiation, and larger cancer size (>1.8 cm) (all P < 0.05). Pre-treatment WLP over 2 years might be a useful tool to predict the prognosis of operated patients with advanced OSCC.

Impairment of Nutritional Status and Quality of Life Following Minimal-Invasive Esophagectomy-A Prospective Cohort Analysis

Minimal-invasive resection of the esophagus for esophageal cancer has led to a relevant decrease in postoperative morbidity. Postoperatively, patients still suffer from surgical and adjuvant therapy-related symptoms impairing nutrition and quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status and associated symptoms six months after esophagectomy. Patients who attended follow-up examination six months after minimal-invasive esophagectomy were included. Blood and fecal tests, quality of life surveys (QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25) and nutritional risk screening (NRS) were performed. Twenty-four patients participated. The mean weight loss was 11 kg. A significant decrease in vitamin B12 (737 to 467 pg/mL; p = 0.033), ferritin (302 to 126 ng/mL; p = 0.012) and haptoglobin (227 to 152 mg/dL; p = 0.025) was found. In total, 47% of the patients had an impaired pancreatic function (fecal elastase < 500 µg/g). Physical (72 to 58; p = 0.034) and social functioning (67 to 40; p = 0.022) was significantly diminished, while self-reported global health status remained stable (52 to 54). The number of patients screened and found to be in need of nutritional support according to NRS score decreased slightly (59% to 52%). After MIE, patients should be meticulously monitored for nutritional status after surgery.

Sex differences in treatment allocation and survival of potentially curable gastroesophageal cancer: A population-based study

BACKGROUND

Although curative treatment options are identical for male and female gastroesophageal cancer patients, access to care and survival may vary. This study aimed to compare treatment allocation and survival between male and female patients with potentially curable gastroesophageal cancer.

METHODS

Nationwide cohort study including all patients with potentially curable gastroesophageal squamous cell or adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 2006 and 2018 registered in the Netherlands Cancer Registry. The main outcome, treatment allocation, was compared between male and female patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). Additionally, 5-year relative survival with relative excess risk (RER), that is, adjusted for the normal life expectancy, was compared.

RESULTS

Among 27,496 patients (68.8% men), most were allocated to curative treatment (62.8%), although rates dropped to 45.6%>70 years. Curative treatment rates were comparable among younger male and female patients (≤70 years) with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, while older females with EAC were less frequently allocated to curative treatment than males (OR = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-0.99). For those allocated to curative treatment, relative survival was superior for female patients with EAC (RER = 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.96) and ESCC (RER = 0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.91), and comparable for males and females with GAC (RER = 1.02, 95% CI 0.94-1.11).

CONCLUSIONS

While curative treatment rates were comparable between younger male and female patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, treatment disparities were present between older patients. When treated, the survival of females with EAC and ESCC was superior to males. The treatment and survival gaps between male and female patients with gastroesophageal cancer warrant further exploration and could potentially improve treatment strategies and survival.

Is Adjuvant Therapy a Better Option for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated With Esophagectomy? A Prognosis Prediction Model Based on Multicenter Real-World Data

OBJECTIVE

To construct a prediction model for more precise evaluation of prognosis which will allow personalized treatment recommendations for adjuvant therapy in patients following resection of ESCC.

BACKGROUND

Marked heterogeneity of patient prognosis and limited evidence regarding survival benefit of various adjuvant therapy regimens pose challenges in the clinical treatment of ESCC.

METHODS

Based on comprehensive clinical data obtained from 4129 consecutive patients with resected ESCC in a high-risk region in China, we identified predictors for overall survival through a 2-phase selection based on Cox proportional hazard regression and minimization of Akaike information criterion. The model was internally validated using bootstrapping and externally validated in 1815 patients from a non-high-risk region in China.

RESULTS

The final model incorporates 9 variables: age, sex, primary site, T stage, N stage, number of lymph nodes harvested, tumor size, adjuvant treatment, and hemoglobin level. A significant interaction was also observed between N stage and adjuvant treatment. N1+ stage patients were likely to benefit from addition of adjuvant therapy as opposed to surgery alone, but adjuvant therapy did not improve overall survival for N0 stage patients. The C -index of the model was 0.729 in the training cohort, 0.723 after bootstrapping, and 0.695 in the external validation cohort. This model outperformed the seventh edition American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system in prognostic prediction and risk stratification.

CONCLUSIONS

The prediction model constructed in this study may facilitate precise prediction of survival and inform decision-making about adjuvant therapy according to N stage.

Donor-Related Risk Factors for Graft Decompensation Following Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty

Aims

To identify donor-related risk factors associated with graft endothelial failure and postoperative endothelial cell density (ECD) reduction after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK).

Methods

This was a single-center retrospective study conducted from July 2006-December 2016. We included 584 consecutive eyes (482 patients) that underwent DSAEK for the treatment of laser iridotomy-related bullous keratopathy (192 eyes), pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (137 eyes), regraft (96 eyes), Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD; 59 eyes) and others (100 eyes). Twenty-three donor- and recipient-related risk factors potentially associated with graft failure and ECD reduction were assessed using Cox hazard models and linear mixed effect models.

Results

The median age of the patients was 73.5 years (male; 35.6%). After DSAEK, ECD decreased from 2,674 cells/mm2 (95% confidence interval [CI]; 2,646–2,701) to 1,132 (1,076–1,190) at 12 months and 904 (845–963) at 24 months (P &lt; 0.001). Fifty-five eyes (9.4%) had graft endothelial failure without rejection. This failure was associated with donor pseudophakic lens status (hazard ratio [HR]; 2.67, CI; 1.50–4.76, P = 0.001) and preoperative endothelial folds (HR; 2.82, CI; 1.20–6.62, P = 0.02). The incidence of graft endothelial failure in non-FECD patients was significantly higher among those receiving donor grafts with a pseudophakic lens status and preoperative presence of endothelial folds (P &lt; 0.001). Postoperative ECD loss was significantly greater in eyes with these risk factors compared to those without (P = 0.007).

Conclusions

Pseudophakic status and/or presence of preoperative endothelial folds are the significant donor risk factors for endothelial failure in non-FECD patients.

Evaluation of Preoperative Inflammation-Based Prognostic Scores in Patients With Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Multicenter Cohort Study

Background

Accumulating evidence has indicated the vital role of inflammation-based score (IBS) in predicting the prognostic outcome of cancer patients. Otherwise, their value in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains indistinct. The present study aimed to evaluate whether IBSs were related to survival outcomes in iCCA patients.

Method

Clinical characteristics were retrospectively collected in 399 patients diagnosed with iCCA from cohorts of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) and the First Hospital of Dalian Medical University (FHDMU). The survival curves were constructed with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The concordance index and the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUROCs) were used to compare the predictive value of inflammation-based scores in terms of survival outcomes.

Results

The significant survival differences in OS and DFS were observed when patients were stratified by the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher mGPS score was independently associated with poor OS and DFS (p<0.001). The predictive accuracy of the mGPS was superior to other IBSs (all p<0.001) in survival prediction in iCCA patients. The findings were further supported by the external validation cohort.

Conclusion

The mGPS is a sensitive, efficient, simple and widely applicable preoperative prognostic factor for iCCA patients. Thus, more effective therapy and frequent surveillance should be conducted after surgical resection in iCCA patients with higher mGPS scores.

An Applicable Inflammation-Joined and Nutrition-Related Prognostic Indicator in Patients With Colorectal Cancer

Purpose

This study aimed to elucidate the prognostic significance of a novel inflammation-joined and nutrition-related clinicopathological marker for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

Various factors from preoperative fasting blood samples from 2471 patients with CRC were retrospectively analyzed. Factors related to prognosis were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to generate survival curves, while the log-rank test was used to measure survival differences between groups.

Results

Univariate analysis revealed that C-reactive protein (CRP)/mean corpuscular volume (MCV) ratio, TNM stage, differentiation, right-sided tumor, age, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, and CRP level were significantly associated with poor prognosis in CRC. In contrast, adjuvant chemotherapy is regarded as a protective factor. Elevation of CRP/MCV ratio (odds ratio [OR]: 1.535, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.121–2.104, P = 0.008), TNM stage (OR: 2.747, 95% CI: 2.175–3.469, P < 0.001), and differentiation (OR, 1.384; 95% CI, 1.150–1.666; P = 0.001) were prognostic risk factors in the multivariate analyses. Subgroup analysis showed that CRP/MCV, TNM staging system, and differentiation also independently affected survival in patients with lymph node-positive CRC. The nomogram based on these three indicators showed that CRP/MCV had a greater prognostic value and clinical significance for lymph node-positive patients with poorly differentiated tumors at the late stage.

Conclusion

A novel nomogram using the clinicopathologic index of inflammation and nutrition was constructed to predict the prognosis of CRC. Early interventions should be emphasized for advanced-stage patients with severe inflammation and poor nutritional status.

Percutaneous Gastrostomy Compared with Esophageal Stent Placement for the Treatment of Esophageal Cancer with Dysphagia

PURPOSE

To compare the outcomes of self-expandable metal stent placement and percutaneous gastrostomy (PG) for the treatment of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) and dysphagia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective observational study consisted of 113 patients with EC and dysphagia who underwent either stent placement (n = 47) or PG (n = 66) at a single center between June 2014 and June 2018.

RESULTS

There were 63 men and 50 women, with a mean age of 76.5 years (standard deviation 4.9 years). The 2 groups had similar baseline characteristics, except that the PG group had a higher percentage of patients with cervical EC (22.7% vs 2.1%, P < .001). The PG group had better maintenance of nutritional status in terms of reduction in serum albumin level (P = .039) and weight loss (P = .041). Compared with the stent group, the PG group demonstrated a lower incidence of local severe pain (0% vs 21.3%, P < .001) and lower incidence of dislodgment of device (1.5% vs 19.1%, P = .002). The PG group demonstrated longer overall survival compared with the stent group for Stages II and III (201 vs 185 days, P = .034) and Stage IV (122 vs 86 days, P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with stent insertion, PG is associated with better maintenance of nutritional status, fewer complications, and better survival. Thus, PG may be the preferred choice for treating malnutrition in patients with EC and dysphagia.

Modified geriatric nutrition risk index as a prognostic predictor of esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to establish a simple and useful prognostic indicator for elderly esophageal cancer patients. We designed the modified geriatric nutrition risk index (mGNRI) using the inverse of C-reactive protein (CRP) instead of albumin and compared its prognostic value with those of the GNRI and other indices.

METHODS

We included 128 patients aged > 65 years who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. We defined mGNRI as (1.489/CRP in mg/dL) + (41.7 × present/ideal body weight) and divided patients into two groups: the low-mGNRI (mGNRI < 70, n = 50) and high-mGNRI (mGNRI ≥ 70, n = 78) groups. We retrospectively examined the relationship between mGNRI and long-term prognosis.

RESULTS

The low-mGNRI group had more advanced cancer by stage, higher rates of recurrence, and earlier recurrence than the high-mGNRI group. Univariate analysis identified the following factors as significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS): a lower American society of anesthesiologist performance status (ASA-PS), male gender, CRP-albumin ratio ≥ 0.1, CRP ≥ 1.0, low-mGNRI, tumor depth ≥ T3, Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 2, tumor size ≥ 40 mm, and age > 75 years. A low-mGNRI, ASA-PS 3, age > 75 years, and tumor depth ≥ T3 were independent unfavorable prognostic factors for OS. A low-mGNRI was an independent poor prognostic factor for relapse-free survival. We performed model selection analysis to identify the most clinically useful indices; mGNRI was the best predictive model.

CONCLUSION

mGNRI in patients with esophageal cancer correlated with early recurrence and was a useful independent prognostic factor.

Cancer-Associated Muscle Wasting-Candidate Mechanisms and Molecular Pathways

Excessive muscle loss is commonly observed in cancer patients and its association with poor prognosis has been well-established. Cancer-associated sarcopenia differs from age-related wasting in that it is not responsive to nutritional intervention and exercise. This is related to its unique pathogenesis, a result of diverse and interconnected mechanisms including inflammation, disordered metabolism, proteolysis and autophagy. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the tumor is the driver of muscle wasting by its elaboration of mediators that influence each of these pro-sarcopenic pathways. In this review, evidence for these tumor-derived factors and putative mechanisms for inducing muscle wasting will be reviewed. Potential targets for future research and therapeutic interventions will also be reviewed.

Linking Circulating Serum Proteins with Clinical Outcomes in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma-An Emerging Role for Chemokines

Simple Summary

Cancer of the esophagus (food pipe) is an aggressive type of cancer with poor prognosis and rates are increasing. Current treatments help to prolong survival but only for a minority of patients, therefore there is an urgent need to discover why some people do not respond and to develop new and improved treatments. Newer treatments targeting the immune system show promise but the anti-tumor immune response in esophageal cancer is not well understood. This study measured levels of 54 immune markers in serum of patients with esophageal cancer and evaluated a link with patient clinical outcomes, e.g., survival time, response to treatment, and adverse events. We found that certain chemokines, proteins which control immune cell trafficking, were particularly high in patients who survived longer (CCL22 and CCL26) and responded to treatment (CCL4), suggesting the importance of immune cell movement in orchestrating an effective immune response to esophageal cancer.

Abstract

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis and incidence is increasing rapidly in the Western world. Multi-modal treatment has improved survival outcomes but only for a minority of patients. Currently no markers have been identified to predict treatment response. This study investigated the association between clinical outcomes and pre-treatment levels of 54 serum proteins in n = 80 patients with EAC. Low tumor regression grade (TRG), corresponding to a favorable treatment response, was linked to prolonged overall survival (OS). CCL4 was higher in patients with a favorable treatment response, while Tie2 and CRP were higher in poor responders. Elevated CCL22 and CCL26 was associated with improved OS, while elevated IL-10 showed a negative association. CCL3, CCL4, IL-1α and IL-12/IL23p40 were highest in individuals with no adverse features of tumor biology, whereas levels of Tie2 and VEGF were lowest in this cohort. CCL4 was also elevated in patients with high tumor lymphocyte infiltration. Comparison of matched pre- and post-treatment serum (n = 28) showed a large reduction in VEGFC, and a concomitant increase in other cytokines, including CCL4. These data link several serum markers with clinical outcomes, highlighting an important role for immune cell trafficking in the EAC antitumor immune response.

Prognostic Prediction Models Based on Clinicopathological Indices in Patients With Resectable Lung Cancer

Serum enzymes, blood cytology indices, and pathological features are associated with the prognosis of patients with lung cancer, and we construct prognostic prediction models based on clinicopathological indices in patients with resectable lung cancer. The study includes 420 patients with primary lung cancer who underwent pneumonectomy. Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted to analyze the prognostic values of individual clinicopathological indices. The prediction accuracies of models for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated through Harrell’s concordance indices (C-index) and Brier scores. Nomograms of the prognostic models were plotted for individualized evaluations of death and cancer progression. We find that the prognostic model based on alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), age, history of tuberculosis, and pathological stage present exceptional performance for OS prediction [C-index: 0.74 (95% CI, 0.69-0.79) and Brier score: 0.10], and the prognostic model based on ALP, LDH, and platelet distribution width (PDW), age, pathological stage, and histological type presented outstanding performance for PFS prediction [C-index: 0.71 (95% CI, 0.66-0.75) and Brier score: 0.18]. These findings show that the models based on clinicopathological indices might serve as economic and efficient prognostic tools for resectable lung cancer.

Elevated FPR confers to radiochemoresistance and predicts clinical efficacy and outcome of metastatic colorectal cancer patients

Association of chronic inflammation, primary tumor sidedness, adjuvant therapy and survival of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains unclear. Circulating inflammatory cell, fibrinogen (Fib), albumin (Alb), pre-albumin (pAlb), Alb/Fib (AFR) and Fib/pAlb (FPR) were detected, and clinical outcome was obtained to determine the predictive, prognostic and monitoring roles of them in discovery and validation cohort. We found that elevated FPR, low AFR and poor survival was observed in right-sided mCRC comparing to the left-sided disease, elevated FPR harbored the highest areas under curve to independently predict poor progression-free survival and overall survival in overall and left-sided mCRC case in two cohorts. No survival difference was examined between the two-sided patients in subgroups stratified by FPR. Radiochemoresistance was observed in high FPR case. However, the patient could benefit from bevacizumab plus radiochemotherapy. Low FPR patient showed the best survival with treatment of palliative resection plus radiochemotherapy. Moreover, circulating FPR was significantly increased ahead imaging confirmed progression and it reached up to the highest value within three months before death. Additionally, c-indexes of the prognostic nomograms including FPR were significantly higher than those without it. These findings indicated that FPR was an effective and independent factor to predict progression, prognosis and to precisely identify the patient to receive optimal therapeutic regimen.

Preoperative serum C-reactive protein levels and postoperative survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis

Objectives

This study tested the relationship between preoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and cancer-specific prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who have undergone curative resection.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study on 961 patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer who underwent curative esophagectomy from 2006 to 2012 at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Preoperative serum CRP levels were determined, and a cutoff value of 5.0 mg/mL was established. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the selection bias between patients with low CRP (≤ 5.0 mg/mL) and those with high CRP (> 5.0 mg/mL) levels based on age, tumor-lymph node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and tumor grade. The prognostic value of preoperative CRP levels was determined using life table, Kaplan–Meier, and Cox proportional hazards analyzes.

Results

In the unmatched cohort, the 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 57 and 53%, respectively, in patients with high preoperative CRP levels (> 5.0 mg/mL) and 68 and 56%, respectively, in those with low preoperative CRP levels (≤ 5.0 mg/mL). The difference in the survival rates of the 2 groups was significant (p = 0.004). Univariate survival analysis revealed that the preoperative CRP levels, TNM stage, tumor grade, drinking history, and anastomosis method were prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Before conducting PSM, the low-CRP group had a lower age (p = 0.001), lower histological grade (p = 0.086), and lower TNM stage (p = 0.254).

After PSM, 176 patients with low CRP levels and 176 of those with high CRP levels were enrolled in the analysis. In the matched cohort, the 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 56 and 50%, respectively, in patients with high preoperative CRP levels (> 5.0 mg/mL) and 68 and 56%, respectively, in those with low preoperative CRP levels (≤ 5.0 mg/mL). The difference in the survival rates between the low- and high-CRP groups was significant (p = 0.044). Multivariate analysis of the matched patients revealed that the TNM stage and preoperative CRP level were independent prognostic factors for OS.

Conclusions

A high preoperative CRP level (> 5.0 mg/mL) predicts worse survival prognosis in patients who have undergone curative resection for esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Combined Chemoradiotherapy-induced Weight Loss Decreases Survival in Locally Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

The aim of the study was to investigate the prognostic impact and predictors of weight loss during definitive radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 125 NSCLC patients (2003-2016) who had received definitive radiotherapy were included in the study. Multivariate analyses were performed to estimate prognostic values. Predictors for weight loss were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median survival of patients with weight loss (>5%) during radiotherapy and for those without any significant weight loss was 15.6 and 33 months, respectively (p=0.015). Non-intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) technique was the only factor associated with weight loss (p=0.039). Weight loss was a poor prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.072, p=0.018), and IMRT was a favorable prognostic factor (HR=0.192, p=0.029).

CONCLUSION

During definitive radiotherapy, weight loss of >5% resulted in decreased OS rate in locally advanced NSCLC. IMRT might increase OS rate by minimizing weight loss.

Novel prognostic score of postoperative complications after transthoracic minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: a retrospective cohort study of 90 consecutive patients

BACKGROUND

Esophagectomy is the standard treatment for esophageal cancer, but has a high rate of postoperative complications. Some studies reported the various scoring system to estimate the postoperative complications. However, there were according to various surgical methods and included intra- and post-operative factors. Recently, minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is becoming the first-line treatment for esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of postoperative complications and to establish a useful system for predicting postoperative complications after transthoracic MIE.

METHODS

From 2007 to 2015, 90 patients who underwent transthoracic MIE at our department were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to postoperative complication: patients with major complications (n = 32) and without major complications (n = 58). Major complication was defined as ≥ IIIa in the Clavien-Dindo classification.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis identified four independent risk factors for predicting postoperative complications: age [≥ 70 years; odd ratio (OR) 6.88; p = 0.001]; sex (male; OR 5.24; p = 0.031); total protein level (< 6.7 mg/dl; OR 6.51; p = 0.002), and C-reactive protein level (≥ 0.15; OR, 6.58; p = 0.001). These four factors were used to establish a score. The complication rate for scores 0-4 were 0, 11, 36, 71, 100%, respectively. The frequency of major complications was significantly associated with the score (p < 0.001). Receiver operator characteristic curves to predict the score with regard to major complications showed an area under the curve value of 0.798 (95% confidence interval: 0.696-0.871, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel score may help to decide surgical intervention for esophagectomy and provide appropriate resources for perioperative management.

Esophageal cancer lymph node metastasis-associated gene signature optimizes overall survival prediction of esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is characteristic of early regional lymph node metastasis (LNM) and most patients with metastasis have a poor prognosis. However, the current diagnostic techniques do not enable precise differentiation of EC LNM, prognostic stratification, and individual survival estimation. To identify potential molecular biomarkers for EC patients with LNM, we explored differently expressed genes in The Cancer Genome Atlas database between 77 non-LNM cases and 88 LNM cases by limma package R. Then, according to univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, we constructed an 8-messenger RNA (mRNA) prognostic signature model, which could predict the outcome in a more exact way. The area under the curve of the risk score is significantly higher than other clinical information, indicating that the 8-mRNA-based risk score is a good indicator for prognosis. Then, combined with other individual risk factors, such as age, sex, T stage, M stage, etc, we could precisely calculate the individual 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates. The Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicate that the risk model is mainly associated with cancer-related pathways, such as cell division, cellular meiosis, and cell cycle regulation. In summary, the 8-mRNA-based risk score model that we developed successfully predicts the survival of EC. It is independent of clinical information and performing better than other clinical information for prognosis.

Role of Postoperative C-Reactive Protein Levels in Predicting Prognosis After Surgical Treatment of Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Elevated preoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are reportedly associated with a poor prognosis for patients with various types of malignant tumors. However, the impact of postoperative CRP levels on the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer remains unknown. The present study aims to clarify the prognostic significance of postoperative CRP levels on the survival of patients with esophageal cancer.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of consecutive 202 patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy. We measured serum CRP levels on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 and evaluated the relationships between postoperative CRP levels and survival.

RESULTS

The findings of Cox regression analyses suggested that elevated CRP levels on POD 3, 5 and 7 were associated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS). We divided CRP levels on POD 7 into three tertiles and found that RFS could be clearly stratified, being the poorest (p < 0.001) in the highest tertile (high CRP). The trend was similar even in patients with or without infectious complications and with or without advanced pathological stage. Multivariate analysis showed that pathologically advanced stage (Hazard ratio [HR], 5.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.67-9.87; p < 0.001) and high CRP (HR, 2.27; 95% CI 1.3-3.96; p = 0.004) were independent predictors of RFS.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative CRP levels could predict the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer. We propose that the clinical course of postoperative CRP level should be carefully monitored as a predictor of survival.

Preoperative Glasgow Prognostic Score as additional independent prognostic parameter for patients with esophageal cancer after curative esophagectomy

BACKGROUND

Inflammation accelerates tumor growth followed by reduced survival in patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic relevance of preoperatively increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and the corresponding Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) on patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing curative esophagectomy.

METHODS

The data of 174 operated esophageal cancer patients were evaluated retrospectively. Patient's demographic and clinico-pathological data, tumor specific data, preoperative plasma levels of CRP and albumin, the corresponding GPS, overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were assessed.

RESULTS

103 (59.2%) had adenocarcinoma and 71 (40.8%) had squamous cell carcinoma. 71 patients (43%) had elevated CRP concentrations. 118 patients (71%) had GPS 0, 41 (25%) GPS 1 and 8 (4%) GPS 2. Mean GPS was 0.3 (0-2). 5-year OS was higher in patients with normal CRP than in those with increased CRP (68% vs. 39%; p = 0.007). 5-year OS in patients with GPS 0 and GPS 1 and 2 were 65% and 31% (p = 0.001). 5-year OS for the whole cohort was 56% (1 year: 83%, 3 years: 64%). Recurrence rate was 16.1% closely associated with GPS (p = 0.002). Median follow-up was 23 months (0-118 months). In multivariate analysis GPS, lymph node involvement, T stage and tumor histology were the independent prognostic parameters (p = 0.004, <0.001, 0.035, 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperatively increased GPS is significantly associated with reduced postoperative survival and tumor recurrence. The GPS as an independent prognosticator should be interpreted together with the TNM stage when the further postoperative treatment has to be scheduled.

Thrombocytosis and Raised CRP Levels Predicts Advanced Stage in Esophageal Carcinoma

PURPOSE

The significance of thrombocytosis and raised C-reactive protein (CRP) as prognostic markers in esophageal cancer is unclear.

METHODS

We prospectively studied 50 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer and analyzed the relation of preoperative platelet count and CRP levels with the clinico-pathological characteristics and stage of the disease. The platelet count of 319 × 10(9)/L for thrombocytosis and CRP level >6 mg/dl were taken as cut-off values.

RESULTS

The incidence of thrombocytosis as well as raised CRP level was 50 %. Eighty percent of patients with thrombocytosis had raised CRP levels. None of patients with early disease (stage I) had thrombocytosis while patients with advanced stage were associated with thrombocytosis, 81.81 % in stage III and 100 % in stage IV (p < 0.001). The incidence of elevated CRP levels has shown progressive linear co-relation with the stage of carcinoma, i.e., 0 % in pathological stage I, 16.67 % in stage II, 45.45 % in stage III, and 100 % in stage IV disease (p = 0.011). Patients with thrombocytosis and patients with raised CRP were associated with pathological nodal metastases in 84.61 % cases (p 0.005) and 61.53 % (p 0.030), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Thrombocytosis alone or in combination with raised CRP had progressive linear relation with the stage of esophageal carcinoma.

Value of the Glasgow Prognostic Score as a Prognostic Factor in Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Over the past decade, the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), which is based on serum C-reactive protein and albumin levels, has been reported to be associated with the prognosis of patients with several types of inoperable and operable cancers. However, its applicability to operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not yet been established.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected data from patients with pathological stage I or II NSCLC who underwent complete resection. A total of 1048 patients were categorized as either GPS-0 (n = 817 [78.0%]), GPS-1 (184 [17.6%]), or GPS-2 (47 [4.5%]). Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the relationship between prognosis and GPS status.

RESULTS

The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 91.2%, 78.3%, and 75.8% for GPS-0, GPS-1, and GPS-2, respectively. There were significant differences in OS between GPS-0 and GPS-1 (p < 0.001) and between GPS-0 and GPS-2 (p < 0.001). Ten variables demonstrated to be associated with OS in a univariate analysis were subjected to a multivariate analysis. The results showed that male sex (p = 0.031), vascular invasion (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), and GPS (p = 0.025) were significantly associated with OS.

CONCLUSIONS

A high GPS is significantly associated with poor OS. Although the biological mechanism that underlies this association is not clear, this inflammation-based score may be a useful indicator of the prognosis in patients with resectable NSCLC.

Clinical Implications of C-Reactive Protein as a Prognostic Marker in Advanced Cancer Patients in Palliative Care Settings

CONTEXT

Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are elevated in patients with advanced cancer.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate CRP as a prognostic marker in palliative settings.

METHODS

This multicenter prospective cohort study comprised 2426 patients. Laboratory data were obtained at baseline, and all patients were followed until death or six months after their enrollment. A total of 1511 patients were eligible for the analyses. They were divided into four groups: low-CRP (CRP < 1 mg/dL), moderate-CRP (1 ≤ CRP <5 mg/dL), high-CRP (5 ≤ CRP <10 mg/dL), and very high-CRP (10 mg/dL ≤ CRP) groups. Survival was investigated by the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test. The 30-, 60-, and 90-day mortality rates were tested by Chi-squared tests. Univariate- and multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs in each group were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

Survival rate decreased and mortality rate increased with increasing CRP level. The differences in survival and 30-, 60-, and 90-day mortality rates among the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Baseline CRP level was significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality after adjustment for age, gender, primary tumor site, metastasis, chemotherapy, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, and setting of care (moderate-CRP: HR 1.47 [95% CI 1.24-1.73], high-CRP: HR 2.09 [95% CI 1.74-2.50], and very high-CRP: HR 2.55 [95% CI 2.13-3.05] vs. low-CRP).

CONCLUSION

Clear dose-effect relationships between elevated CRP levels and prognoses indicate that CRP could be useful in predicting prognoses in patients with advanced cancer.

Feeding Challenges in Patients with Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Cancers

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing treatment for esophagogastric or esophageal cancer are exposed to a considerably high risk of malnutrition due to early obstruction of the gastrointestinal passage. Presently most of the patients undergo modern multimodal therapies which require chemoradiation or chemotherapy ahead of surgery. Therefore reconstruction of the obstructed gastrointestinal passage is considerably delayed. Surgery as the only curative option after neoadjuvant treatment is the mainstay of therapy in this setting. However, many patients are at risk for the development of postoperative complications associated with the complexity of the surgical procedure. Therefore enteral feeding as a prerequisite to avoid malnutrition represents a special therapeutic challenge.

SUMMARY

This review describes the recent literature on the incidence and influence of perioperative malnutrition on oncologic outcome, measures to determine patients at risk, possible strategies to reduce or avoid malnutrition by supportive enteral/parenteral nutrition, implementation of the enhanced recovery after surgery programs and feeding routes, but also surgical and adjuvant procedures in the curative and palliative setting for patients undergoing treatment for gastroesophageal cancers.

KEY MESSAGES

Appropriate identification of patients at risk is crucial to avoid malnutrition. Early nutritional interventions during multimodal/neoadjuvant treatment may be beneficial for weight loss reduction although the evidence is not conclusive. Pouch reconstructions during surgery should be applied in order to increase quality of life and eating capacity. Reduction of postoperative complications could provide potential benefits. In palliative patients, insertion of self-expanding metal stents can reduce dysphagia and improve quality of life, but does not prolong overall survival. Further evidence is required to determine the value of the procedures and measures described in this review.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Nutritional risk scoring should be performed for every gastroesophageal cancer patient. Sophisticated reconstruction methods and early recovery programs should be enforced to reduce perioperative starvation periods. Self-expanding metal stents should be used for palliative patients.

Prognostic value of preoperative platelet-lymphocyte and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal squamous cell cancer

Increasing evidence has suggested that the host inflammatory status is associated with prognosis of several solid tumors. Preoperative platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), both acquired from routine blood tests, can reflect the status of systematic inflammation. However, whether they are correlated with clinical outcomes of esophageal carcinoma is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of preoperative PLR and NLR in patients with resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Preoperative PLR and NLR were evaluated in 317 eligible ESCC patients from September 2008 to December 2010. Receiver operating characteristic curves were applied to establish optimal cutoff points. The prognostic values of PLR and NLR were determined by both univariate and multivariate analyses. The optimal cutoff value of preoperative PLR and NLR were 103.0 and 2.1, respectively. One hundred and ninety-seven (62.1%) patients showed high level of preoperative PLR, while 148 (46.7%) patients showed high level of preoperative NLR. Both elevated PLR (P < 0.001) and NLR (P = 0.009) were correlated with poor disease-specific survival in univariate analysis. However, only preoperative PLR (P = 0.003) had a significant correlation with prognosis in multivariate analysis. In subgroup analyses, the predictive value of PLR was significant for stage I (P = 0.008) and stage II (P = 0.044) patients, but not for stage III patients (P = 0.100). Preoperative PLR is easily obtained from a routine blood test and may provide additional prognostic information for ESCC patients, especially in the early stage.

C-Reactive Protein Is an Important Biomarker for Prognosis Tumor Recurrence and Treatment Response in Adult Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

A systematic literature review was done to determine the relationship between elevated CRP and prognosis in people with solid tumors. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a serum acute phase reactant and a well-established inflammatory marker. We also examined the role of CRP to predict treatment response and tumor recurrence.

METHODS

MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) terms were used to search multiple electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, EBM-Cochrane). Two independent reviewers selected research papers. We also included a quality Assessment (QA) score. Reports with QA scores <50% were excluded. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) methodology was utilized for this review (S1 PRISMA Checklist).

RESULTS

271 articles were identified for final review. There were 45% prospective studies and 52% retrospective. 264 had intermediate QA score (≥50% but <80%); Seven were adequate (80% -100%); A high CRP was predictive of prognosis in 90% (245/271) of studies-80% of the 245 studies by multivariate analysis, 20% by univariate analysis. Many (52%) of the articles were about gastrointestinal malignancies (GI) or kidney malignancies. A high CRP was prognostic in 90% (127 of 141) of the reports in those groups of tumors. CRP was also prognostic in most reports in other solid tumors primary sites.

CONCLUSIONS

A high CRP was associated with higher mortality in 90% of reports in people with solid tumors primary sites. This was particularly notable in GI malignancies and kidney malignancies. In other solid tumors (lung, pancreas, hepatocellular cancer, and bladder) an elevated CRP also predicted prognosis. In addition there is also evidence to support the use of CRP to help decide treatment response and identify tumor recurrence. Better designed large scale studies should be conducted to examine these issues more comprehensively.

High serum level of C-reactive protein is associated with worse outcome of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with erlotinib

Erlotinib is a low molecular weight tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) directed at epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), widely used in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although introduction of EGFR-TKIs have significantly extended survival of advanced-stage NSCLC patients, their efficacy in the entire patient population is relatively low. Aside from activating EGFR mutations, no reliable biochemical or molecular predictors of response to erlotinib have been established. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the association of baseline serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) with outcomes in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with erlotinib. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 595 patients with advanced-stage NSCLC (IIIB or IV) treated with erlotinib. Serum CRP was measured using an immunoturbidimetric method. High baseline levels of CRP (≥10 mg/l) were measured in 387 (65 %) patients, and normal levels (<10 mg/l) were measured in 208 (35 %) patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with high CRP was 1.8 and 7.7 compared to 2.8 and 14.4 months for patients with low CRP (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model revealed that CRP was significantly associated with PFS and also with OS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.57, p < 0.001, and HR = 1.63, p < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, the results of the conducted retrospective study suggest that high baseline level of CRP was independently associated with worse outcome of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with erlotinib. CRP is a commonly used biomarker which is simple and easy to detect, and thus, it is feasible for the use in the routine clinical practice.

The combination of preoperative serum C-reactive protein and carcinoembryonic antigen is a useful prognostic factor in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a combined ROC analysis

Background

The prognostic value of inflammatory index in esophageal cancer (EC) has not been established. In the present study, therefore, we initially evaluated a novel prognostic system, named the COCC (COmbination of C-reactive protein [CRP] and carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA]), for making a prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

A total of 327 patients with ESCC between January 2006 and December 2008 were included in this retrospective study. The COCC was calculated by combined CRP and CEA according to the logistic equation. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate the cancer-specific survival (CSS), and the difference was assessed by the log-rank test. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic factors.

Results

In our study, COCC was defined as CRP +0.71 CEA according to the logistic equation. Receiver operating characteristic curves for CSS prediction were plotted to verify the optimum cutoff points for CRP, CEA, and COCC, which were 9.8 mg/L, 4.2 ng/mL, and 8.0, respectively. Patients with COCC ≤8.0 had a significantly better CSS than patients with COCC >8.0 (53.1% vs 15.3%, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that COCC was an independent prognostic factor in patients with ESCC (P=0.006). In addition, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.722 for COCC, 0.645 for CRP, and 0.618 for CEA, indicating that COCC was superior to CRP or CEA for CSS prediction.

Conclusion

The COCC is an independent prognostic factor in patients with ESCC. We conclude that COCC was superior to CRP or CEA as a more precise prognostic factor in patients with ESCC.

Prognostic significance of pre-operative C-reactive protein and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in resectable pancreatic cancer: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Better pre-operative risk stratification may improve patient selection for pancreatic resection in pancreatic cancer. C-reactive protein (CRP) and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have demonstrated prognostic value in some cancers. The role of CRP and NLR in predicting outcome in pancreatic cancer after curative resection is not well established.

METHODS

An electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL was performed to identify studies assessing survival in patients after pancreatic cancer resection with high or low pre-operative CRP or NLR. Systematic review was undertaken using the PRISMA protocol.

RESULTS

In total, 327 studies were identified with 10 reporting on survival outcomes after a pancreatic resection in patients with high or low CRP, NLR or both. All but one paper showed a trend of lower inflammatory markers in patients with longer survival. Three studies from six showed low CRP to be independently associated with increased survival and two studies of eight showed the same for NLR. All studies were retrospective cohort studies of low to moderate quality.

DISCUSSION

Inflammatory markers might prove useful guides to the management of resectable pancreatic cancer but, given the poor quality of evidence, further longitudinal studies are required before incorporating pre-operative inflammatory markers into clinical decision making.

Association between C-reactive protein, incident liver cancer, and chronic liver disease mortality in the Linxian Nutrition Intervention Trials: a nested case-control study

BACKGROUND

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of systemic inflammation that has been associated with the incidence and prognosis for a number of different cancers. Recent data suggest that CRP may be a prognostic factor for liver cancer and cirrhosis. However, few long-term studies are available.

METHODS

We prospectively examined associations between serum CRP and subsequent risk of liver cancer incidence or chronic liver disease mortality in a nested case-control study performed in the Linxian Nutrition Intervention Trials cohort. Baseline serum CRP was measured for 220 incident liver cancer cases, 276 participants who died of chronic liver disease, and 1,018 age-, sex-, and trial-matched controls. Unconditional logistical regression models were used to estimate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Compared with the lowest quartile, subjects in the fourth quartile of serum CRP had a higher risk of liver cancer incidence (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.06-2.51), with a significant Ptrend across quartiles (P = 0.01). The association with liver cancer was only significant among men (Q4 vs. Q1; OR, 2.00; 1.10-3.62), but not among women (Q4 vs. Q1; OR, 1.15; 0.60-2.22). For chronic liver disease deaths, the corresponding risk estimate in men and women was 2.95 (1.90-4.57), with a monotonic trend (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher serum CRP concentrations at baseline were associated with subsequent incidence of liver cancer and death from chronic liver disease.

IMPACT

Our findings suggest that levels of systemic inflammation may serve as a long-term marker of liver cancer and liver disease.

Prognostic role of serum C-reactive protein in esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Recent studies have shown that C-reactive protein (CRP) is a useful predictive factor in several cancers; however, its role in esophageal cancer (EC) is controversial.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science to analyze the prognostic value of serum CRP in patients with EC. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between serum CRP and overall survival (OS) in patients with EC.

Results

A total of eight studies involving 1,471 patients were included in our study. Our pooled results demonstrated that a high level of serum CRP was associated with poor OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–1.57, I²=81.3%, P<0.0001). Subgroup analyses were performed in further investigations. When the patients were segregated according to treatment, pathological type, and cut-off level, high levels of serum CRP were found to be significantly correlated with OS.

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis revealed that high levels of serum CRP were significantly associated with poor OS in patients with EC.

Validation of a new approach for mortality risk assessment in oesophagectomy for cancer based on age- and gender-corrected body mass index

OBJECTIVES

We developed a new algorithm to identify high-risk patients for underweight after oesophagectomy for cancer. Patients were assigned to an age-gender-specific body mass index percentile (AG-BMI) which is then used in a survival analysis. This model was able to identify patients more at risk for being underweight in comparison with the classically used BMI. It shows a worse overall survival (OS) in patients with a preoperative AG-BMI < 10th percentile. The aim of this study is to validate this new model based on a cohort of patients from an external high-volume institution specialized in oesophageal cancer surgery.

METHODS

The validation cohort consists of 407 patients operated on between 1999 and 2012 with the prerequisite data to calculate AG-BMI and OS. The base cohort consisted of 642 consecutive patients, operated on in our institution between 2005 and 2010. Age, gender, height and weight on the day before surgery were used to calculate the BMI and the AG-BMI. OS was analysed and a multivariate analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Incidence rates of the AG-BMI < 10th percentile risk-patients in the validation cohort showed similar results to our original results (17.8 vs 17.2% for the base cohort) with a similar significant OS difference between at-risk patients and not-at-risk patients (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis found the same five independent prognosticators for OS in both datasets: age, early versus advanced disease, resection status, number of positive lymph nodes and the AG-BMI 10th percentile, but not BMI itself. In the validation cohort, gender was identified as an additional independent prognosticator. The worse OS survival in AG-BMI < 10th percentile in both patient populations was related to a significantly higher number of deaths without oesophageal cancer recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

This study validates the newly developed AG-BMI model to predict more accurately a subgroup of patients at risk for worse survival after oesophagectomy. Improved perioperative identification of risk factors for poorer OS could help to develop perioperative strategies to reduce these risks.

A new inflammation index is useful for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

The prognostic value of inflammation indexes in esophageal cancer has not been established. Recent studies have shown that the advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) is a useful predictive factor. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the ALI is useful for predicting long-term survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Patients and methods

A total of 293 patients who had undergone esophagectomy for ESCC were included. The ALI was calculated as body mass index × serum albumin/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Then, patients were divided into two groups: ALI ≥18 and ALI <18. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate the cancer-specific survival (CSS), and the difference was assessed by the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic factors.

Results

In our study, there were 120 patients with ALI <18 and 173 patients with ALI ≥18. ALI was significantly higher in patients with large tumors (P=0.028), poor differentiation (P=0.010), deep invasion (P=0.009), and nodal metastasis (P=0.004). The 5-year CSS was 34.5% in our study. Patients with ALI <18 had a significantly poorer 5-year CSS compared to ALI ≥18 (21.7% versus 43.4%, P<0.001). On multivariate analysis, we showed that the ALI was a significant predictive factor of CSS (P=0.024).

Conclusion

The ALI is still a useful predictive factor for long-term CSS in patients with ESCC. However, the prognostic value of the ALI is yet to be formally tested within randomized trials.

The influence of elevated levels of C-reactive protein and hypoalbuminemia on survival in patients with advanced inoperable esophageal cancer undergoing palliative treatment

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Inflammation perpetuates individual tumor progression resulting in decreased survival in cancer patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) as well as low levels of albumin on patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma.

METHODS

The data of 218 patients with advanced esophageal cancer, who were treated at a single center within 12 years, were evaluated retrospectively. Patient's age, gender, body weight, dysphagia, plasma levels of CRP and albumin, the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) combining both indicators, and survival were assessed for statistical evaluation.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine (18.2%) had hypoalbuminemia and 161 (73.9%) had elevated CRP levels. Patients with hypoalbuminemia (P = 0.001) as well as patients with increased CRP levels (P = 0.001) showed a significantly shorter survival. Weight loss was correlated to elevated plasma CRP (P = 0.022), to diarrhea (P = 0.021), and to dysphagia (P = 0.008). Increasing GPS was significantly associated with poor survival (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated CRP levels and hypoalbuminemia are significantly associated with reduced survival and are considered to be an appropriate predictor for poor outcome in advanced esophageal carcinoma. The GPS provides additional detailed prognostication and should be therefore taken into consideration when the individual palliative strategy has to be scheduled.

Chronic pancreatitis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome prevent impact of chemotherapy with gemcitabine in a genetically engineered mouse model of pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

BACKGROUND AND AIMSGemcitabine is the standard therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer with metastatic disease. Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer presenting with increased values of C-reactive protein do not respond to gemcitabine. So far, no studies have evaluated the correlation between chronic pancreatitis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and the loss of chemotherapeutic benefit.

METHODS

Pdx-1-Cre;LSL-Kras(G12D/+);LSL-Trp53(R172H/+) mice were assigned into four groups: 1) Sixteen animals received a daily intraperitoneal injection of caerulein from their ninth week of life on. 2) Sixteen mice were additionally given gemcitabine. 3) Twelve animals received gemcitabine only. 4) Saline-treated control group. Furthermore, human Paca44 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells were seeded and cultured in 0.5% FBS containing growth medium plus/minus 1 μM gemcitabine plus/minus recombinant human interleukin (IL)-6.

RESULTS

Induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome and a mild chronic pancreatitis diminished the beneficial effects of gemcitabine upon median overall survival. In median, the monogemcitabine group survived 191 days, whereas the caerulein-mono group survived 114, the control group 121, and the caerulein gemcitabine group 127 days (P < .05). In vitro, the induction of STAT3 phosphorylation by recombinant human IL-6 promoted pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell survival during gemcitabine treatment.

CONCLUSION

We could demonstrate for the first time that an improvement in median overall survival with gemcitabine is significantly abolished by a persistent mild chronic pancreatitis and a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. In particular, the inflammation biomarkers C-reactive protein, IL-6, and IL-1α could indicate the prognostic benefit of gemcitabine chemotherapy and should now be tested in prospective patient-controlled trials.

The preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predicts recurrence and survival among patients undergoing R0 resections of adenocarcinomas of the esophagogastric junction

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Elevated preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) predict survival rates among patients with several types of cancer. The current study sought to clarify whether NLR and PLR are clinically useful independent prognostic indicators of adenocarcinomas of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) among patients undergoing curative resections (i.e., R0 resections).

METHODS

A total of 327 patients who underwent R0 resections for AEG were enrolled in the study. Data concerning demographic parameters, laboratory analyses, histopathology, and survival time were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 123 patients (37.6%) had elevated preoperative NLR (≥ 5). The median follow-up duration was 24.7 months (range = 2-39 months). NLR was significantly related to histology (P = 0.035), pTNM stage (P < 0.0001) and tumor recurrence (P = 0.022). Univariate analyses revealed that NLR were significantly associated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS; both P < 0.0001). Multivariable analyses revealed that elevated NLR independently predicted poorer DFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.551, P < 0.0001) and OS (HR = 2.743, P < 0.0001). However, PLR did not significantly predict DFS or OS.

CONCLUSION

The present study indicates that elevated preoperative NLR (≥ 5) is a useful marker of tumor recurrence and independently predicts poorer disease-free and overall survival among patients with AEG undergoing R0 resections.

Postdiagnosis C-reactive protein and breast cancer survivorship: findings from the WHEL study

BACKGROUND

Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of acute inflammatory response and has been associated with health outcomes in some studies. Inflammation and immune response may have potential prognostic implications for breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

The Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study includes 2,919 early-stage breast cancer survivors with serum collected 2 years postdiagnosis and follow-up for clinical outcomes over approximately 7 years. CRP concentrations were measured using high-sensitivity electrochemiluminescence assay. Outcomes, including all-cause mortality, breast cancer-specific mortality, and additional breast cancer events were oncologist verified from medical records and death certificates. Cox proportional hazards models were conducted with adjustment for potential confounding factors to generate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

CRP concentrations in women diagnosed with breast cancer were associated with death due to any cause, death due to breast cancer, and additional breast cancer events, after adjustment for sociodemographic and cancer characteristics (lnCRP: P < 0.05 for all three outcomes). The HR for women with (vs. without) acute inflammation suggests a threshold effect on overall survival, rather than a dose-response relationship (≥ 10.0 mg/L vs. <1 mg/L: HR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.22-3.13). Associations were similar for breast cancer-specific mortality (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.13-3.23) and any additional breast cancer-related event (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.17-2.43).

CONCLUSIONS

Acute inflammation status (CRP ≥ 10 mg/L) may be an important independent biomarker for long-term survival in breast cancer survivors.

IMPACT

Interventions to decrease circulating CRP concentrations in breast cancer survivors with acute inflammation may improve prognosis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of tumor biomarkers in predicting prognosis in esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a frequently occurring cancer with poor prognosis despite combined therapeutic strategies. Many biomarkers have been proposed as predictors of adverse events. We sought to assess the prognostic value of biomarkers in predicting the overall survival of esophageal cancer and to help guide personalized cancer treatment to give patients the best chance at remission.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature to summarize evidence for the discriminatory ability of prognostic biomarkers for esophageal cancer. Relevant literature was identified using the PubMed database on April 11, 2012, and conformed to the REMARK criteria. The primary endpoint was overall survival and data were synthesized with hazard ratios (HRs).

RESULTS

We included 109 studies, exploring 13 different biomarkers, which were subjected to quantitative meta-analysis. Promising markers that emerged for the prediction of overall survival in esophageal squamous cell cancer included VEGF (18 eligible studies, n=1476, HR=1.85, 95% CI, 1.55-2.21), cyclin D1 (12 eligible studies, n=1476, HR=1.82, 95% CI, 1.50-2.20), Ki-67 (3 eligible studies, n=308, HR=1.11, 95% CI, 0.70-1.78) and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (5 eligible studies, n=700, HR=1.28, 95% CI, 0.97-1.69); prognostic markers for esophageal adenocarcinoma included COX-2 (2 eligible studies, n=235, HR=3.06, 95% CI, 2.01-4.65) and HER-2 (3 eligible studies, n=291, HR=2.15, 95% CI, 1.39-3.33); prognostic markers for uncategorized ECs included p21 (9 eligible studies, n=858, HR=1.27, 95% CI, 0.75-2.16), p53 (31 eligible studies, n=2851, HR=1.34, 95% CI, 1.21-1.48), CRP (8 eligible studies, n=1382, HR=2.65, 95% CI, 1.64-4.27) and hemoglobin (5 eligible studies, n=544, HR=0.91, 95% CI, 0.83-1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

Although some modest bias cannot be excluded, this review supports the involvement of biomarkers to be associated with EC overall survival.

Preoperative elevation of serum C-reactive protein as an indicator of poor prognosis for early-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Preoperative elevation of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is reportedly associated with poor prognosis in several types of cancer. This study investigated the role of serum CRP as a prognostic factor in early-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The preoperative serum CRP levels were measured in 156 newly diagnosed pT1-2N0M0 patients using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlations between serum CRP levels and other clinical parameters were analyzed. Multivariate analyses were performed to find prognostic markers using Cox's proportional hazards model. CRP concentrations were within the normal range in 117 (75%) individuals, but were elevated in 39 (25%) patients. Serum CRP levels were significantly correlated with the tumor length (p = 0.032), depth (T classification, p = 0.0157), or histologic grade (p = 0.034). The overall 5-year survival rates were 76.3% and 50.2% in the low- and high-CRP groups, respectively (p = 0.005). By multivariate analyses, the elevated serum CRP level was found to be an independent prognostic factor for poor survival (hazard ratio = 2.131; p = 0.007), regardless of tumor classification or other prognostic factors. In conclusion, preoperative, high serum CRP is an independent determinant of poor prognosis in early-stage ESCC.

The role of systemic inflammatory and nutritional blood-borne markers in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and survival in oesophagogastric cancer

The aim of this study was to interrogate whether blood-borne inflammatory and nutritional markers predict long-term survival and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in radically treated oesophagogastric cancer patients. This retrospective study included 246 patients who underwent oesophageal resection for high-grade dysplasia or carcinoma between 2005 and 2010. The predictive value of routine preoperative immunonutritional blood tests was assessed for their association with survival and response to chemotherapy. On multivariate analysis, higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p < 0.0001), N stage (p < 0.0001) and perineural invasion (p < 0.0001) were associated with poor overall survival. Regarding disease-free survival, multivariate analysis showed reduced serum albumin (p = 0.034), N stage (p < 0.0001), M stage (p = 0.037), vascular invasion (p < 0.0001) and presence of R1 resection (p = 0.003) to correlate with earlier recurrence. In those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, analysis of prechemotherapy characteristics showed only serum albumin (p = 0.037) to predict pathological response to chemotherapy. Preoperative immunonutritional markers, NLR and albumin, were independent prognostic markers for overall survival and disease-free survival, respectively, after oesophageal cancer resection. Prospective studies evaluating the role of immunonutritional modulation to improve response to chemotherapy and long-term outcome are required.

Time course of serum C-reactive protein levels during induction chemoradiotherapy and its correlation with treatment response and survival in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Preoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels have been shown to be of prognostic significance in patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma. However, the clinical significance of serum CRP levels in patients with unresectable or marginally resectable tumors in the absence of induction therapy has not been fully elucidated in relation to treatment response and prognosis. Thirty-four patients with clinical T3-T4 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent induction chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by esophagectomy were enrolled in this retrospective study. Serum CRP levels were measured during the course of CRT, i.e., prior to, during (1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks following initiation) and after CRT (prior to surgery). The association between CRP levels, CRT response and survival was analyzed. Elevated serum CRP levels exhibited a favorable decrease 2-3 weeks following CRT initiation in pathological responders and CRP ≤0.3 mg/dl at 2 and 3 weeks following CRT initiation, as well as prior to surgery, was significantly correlated with responders. In patients with pretreatment CRP >0.3 mg/dl (67.6% of patients in this study), CRP ≤0.3 mg/dl at 2 and 3 weeks following CRT initiation predicted responders with accuracies of 87.0 and 73.9%, respectively. In the univariate survival analysis, CRP levels 3 weeks following CRT initiation, as well as CRP levels prior to surgery and pathological stage, were significant prognostic factors, although CRP levels prior to surgery was the only independent prognostic factor in the multivariate analysis. Serum CRP levels during the course of CRT may be of prognostic and predictive significance for the CRT response in patients with unresectable or marginally resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who undergo induction CRT.

Changes of acute-phase protein levels in the serum of lung cancer patients following radiotherapy

PURPOSE

the assessment of serum level changes of C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin (FER), and albumin (ALB) as inflammation markers in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer patients (stages IIIA - inoperable and stage IIIB) treated with radiotherapy. Significant findings: Normal pre-radiotherapy levels of CRP were found in 18 patients, of FER in 17, and of ALB in 22. Higher levels of CRP were found in 9 patients and of FER in 10. Lower ALB was found in 5 patients.Post-radiotherapy CRP levels were significantly higher (compared to the pre-radiotherapy levels) in 25 patients. The same was observed regarding FER in 18 patients whereas 12 patients had lower post-radiotherapy levels. The statistical analysis (non parametrical Wilcoxon test) revealed that these differences were statistically significant (p-value< 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The levels of CRP, FER, and ALB are reliable and useful biomarkers correlated with the acute complication of lung parenchyma damage induced by radiotherapy.

Prognostic value of metabolic volume measured by F-18 FDG PET-CT in patients with esophageal cancer

PURPOSE

  The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the metabolic tumor volume (MTV) measured by F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET-CT) in predicting recurrence free survival (RFS) in patients with esophageal cancer.

METHODS

  Forty-five patients with squamous cell carcinoma, who had undergone whole-body F-18 FDG PET-CT scans before surgical resection, were included in this study. All patients were treated with Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. The MTV was quantified within the primary tumor using the 50% threshold of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max ) of the FDG uptake areas. The cutoff value of MTV₅₀ was determined through receiver-operating characteristic curve. The Kaplan Meier method was used to find out the relationship between RFS and MTV₅₀ . Univariate analysis and multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis were applied to test the significance of volumetric parameter of F-18 FDG PET-CT and other conventional prognostic factors for the prediction of RFS.

RESULTS

  Overall median follow up period was 17.87 months (range: 1.07-63.27 months). The median survival between treatment completion and recurrence was 15.5 months (range: 1.37-72.43 months). Recurrence was found in eight patients. On univariate analysis, MTV₅₀ (P = 0.0032), N stage (P = 0.0004), American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (P = 0.0101), tumor location (P = 0.0054) and adjuvant treatment (P = 0.0373) were significant predictors of RFS. Multivariate analysis showed that the independent prognostic factors were MTV₅₀ (P = 0.0465), N stage (P = 0.0303) and tumor location (P = 0.0270).

CONCLUSION

  Volume based parameter of F-18 FDG PET-CT may have a role in providing prognostic information in esophageal cancer patients who received esophagectomy.