Systemic inflammation, nutritional status and tumor immune microenvironment determine outcome of resected non-small cell lung cancer

Development of a TLR-Based Model That Can Predict Prognosis, Tumor Microenvironment, and Drug Response for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The toll-like receptor (TLR) family is an important class of proteins involved in the immune response. However, little is known about the association between TLRs and Esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). We explored differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ESCC and esophagus tissues in TCGA and GTEx database. By taking the intersection with TLR gene set and using univariate Cox analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis to discriminate the hub genes, we created a TLR-prognostic model. Our model separated patients with ESCC into high- and low-risk score (RS) groups. Prognostic analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves. The two groups were also compared regarding tumor immune microenvironment and drug sensitivity. Six hub genes (including CD36, LGR4, MAP2K3, NINJ1, PIK3R1, and TRAF3) were screened to construct a TLR-prognostic model. High-RS group had a worse survival (p < 0.01), lower immune checkpoint expression (p < 0.05), immune cell abundance (p < 0.05) and decreased sensitivity to Epirubicin (p < 0.001), 5-fluorouracil (p < 0.0001), Sorafenib (p < 0.01) and Oxaliplatin (p < 0.05). We constructed a TLR-based model, which could be used to assess the prognosis of patients with ESCC, provide new insights into drug treatment for ESCC patients and investigate the TME and drug response.

Prognostic Significance of the Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index in Metastatic Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis of 96 Patients

BACKGROUND The advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) is regarded as a potential indicator of systemic inflammation. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of the ALI in 96 patients with advanced small cell lung cancer (SCLC). MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included 96 patients who were diagnosed with extensive stage SCLC in a single institution between 2016 and 2022. The formula for ALI is body mass index (kg/m²)×serum albumin (g/dL)/neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. Patients were divided into low inflammation (ALI ≥32.5) and high inflammation (ALI <32.5) groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional analysis were conducted to assess the association between the ALI and patient prognosis. RESULTS Median age was 61 (range: 41-82) years. Median follow-up was 9 months, and median overall survival (OS) was 10 months (95% CI: 7.75-12.45). A lower ALI score (ALI <32.5) was correlated with a poorer OS than was a higher ALI score (median OS 7 months for ALI <32.5 95% CI: 4.6-9.3 vs 15 months for ALI ≥32.5, 95% CI: 10.6-19.3, P<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, ALI score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, brain metastasis, and bone metastasis were identified as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS ALI score is a substantial predictor of survival in SCLC as in other types of cancer types. Patients with a low ALI score have poorer survival. Assessment of ALI can identify lung cancer patients at high risk of poor prognosis and can be a useful prognostic marker in clinical practice.

The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index as a prognostic factor in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors with non-small-cell lung cancer

Background

Globally, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading factor in cancer-related mortality. Additionally, the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) has been assessed as a predictive and prognostic indicator in various types of carcinomas. Our study aims to assess the prognostic importance of GNRI computed at diagnosis in NSCLC patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Methods

The study evaluated 148 patients who underwent immunotherapy for NSCLC from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2021, retrospectively. Patients combined with other malignant tumors or severe comorbidities were excluded from the study. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed in regulating the ideal cutoff worth of GNRI. Survival outcomes were evaluated through Kaplan-Meier analysis. Following this, both univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted utilizing Cox regression analysis to identify any potential factors that may influence the survival outcomes.

Results

The cutoff point for GNRI was 108.15 [area under the curve (AUC) =0.575, P=0.048]. Further analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method demonstrated that individuals in the high GNRI group had significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to those in the low GNRI group (P=0.02, P=0.01). The further stratified study showed that GNRI had greater predictive value in tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage II-III and elderly (age ≥65 years) NSCLC patients undergoing ICI therapy. The multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that GNRI [hazard ratio (HR): 0.536, P=0.03], obesity (HR: 16.283, P<0.001), and surgical history (HR: 0.305, P<0.001) were associated with poorer survival rates.

Conclusions

Among patients undergoing ICI therapy for NSCLC, GNRI is an effective independent prognostic indicator, and a high GNRI at diagnosis is substantially related with longer PFS and OS. The incorporation of GNRI in pre-treatment evaluations within clinical settings is beneficial.

Significance of preoperative evaluation of modified advanced lung cancer inflammation index for patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVES

Body composition and systemic inflammation/nutrition have been identified as important clinical factors in cancer patients. The modified advanced lung cancer inflammation index (mALI), which combines body composition and systemic inflammation/nutrition, is defined as appendicular skeletal muscle index × serum albumin/neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. This retrospective study aimed to investigate associations between preoperative mALI and surgical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

METHODS

We examined 665 patients with resectable stage I-III NSCLC who underwent pulmonary resection. Patients were divided into low-mALI (n = 168) and high-mALI (n = 497) based on the lower quartile. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis were used to assess the prognostic value of mALI. We then performed 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) for high- and low-mALI to further investigate impacts on survival.

RESULTS

Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were both significantly poorer in the low-mALI group than in the high-mALI group (58.2% vs. 79.6%, P < 0.001; 48.8% vs. 66.7%, P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed low-mALI as an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.116; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.458-3.070; P < 0.001) and RFS (HR, 1.634; 95% CI 1.210-2.207; P = 0.001). After PSM, low-mALI remained as an independent predictor of OS (HR, 2.446; 95% CI 1.263-4.738; P = 0.008) and RFS (HR 1.835; 95% CI 1.074-3.137; P = 0.026).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative mALI appears to offer an independent predictor of poor surgical outcomes as a simple, routinely available, and inexpensive biomarker in patients with resectable NSCLC.

How General and Inflammatory Status Impacts on the Prognosis of Patients Affected by Lung Cancer: State of the Art

Pulmonary cancer is often associated with systemic inflammation and poor nutritional status and these two aspects are strongly correlated and related to the scarce infiltration of a tumor by immune cells. We reviewed all English literature reviews from 2000 to 2024 from PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar, including original articles, review articles, and metanalyses. We excluded non-English language articles and case reports/case series. Generally speaking, nutritional and inflammatory status largely affect medium and long-term prognosis in lung cancer patients. A correct stratification of patients could improve their preoperative general functional nutritional and inflammatory status, minimizing, therefore, possible treatment complications and improving long-term prognosis.

Prognostic effect of TCF1+ CD8+ T cell and TOX+ CD8+ T cell infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma

Recent studies have highlighted the pivotal roles of T cell transcription factors TCF-1 and TOX in modulating the immune response in cancer, with TCF-1 maintaining CD8+ T cell stemness and TOX promoting T cell exhaustion. The prognostic significance of these factors in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains a critical area of investigation. The retrospective study included 191 patients with LUAD who underwent surgery, of whom 83% were in stages II and III. These patients were divided into exploratory (n = 135) and validation (n = 56) groups based on the time of diagnosis. Multiplex fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to examine the infiltration levels of CD8+ T cells, TCF1+ CD8+ T cells, and TOX+ CD8+ T cells. The percentage of CD8+ T cells in tumor was markedly lower than that in stroma (p < 0.05). In tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) invaded by tumor, the proportion of stem-like TCF1+ CD8+ T cells was significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Importantly, higher infiltration levels of CD8+ T cells and TCF1+ CD8+ T cells were associated with improved disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.009 and p = 0.006, respectively) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.018 and p = 0.010, respectively). This study underscores the potential of TCF1+ CD8+ T cells as prognostic biomarkers in LUAD, providing insights into the tumor immune microenvironment and guiding future therapeutic strategies.

The prognostic value of preoperative neoindices consisting of lymphocytes, neutrophils and albumin (LANR) in operable breast cancer: a retrospective study

Background

Preoperative inflammatory factors and nutritional status are strongly associated with the prognosis of a variety of cancers. We explored the relationship between preoperative lymphocytes, neutrophils and albumin (LANR) and progression-free survival in breast cancer patients.

Methods

The clinical and follow-up data of 200 breast cancer patients were retrospectively analyzed in this study, and the value of LANR was determined as follows: LANR, lymphocytes × albumin/neutrophils. ROC curves, COX proportional risk regression analysis and subgroup analysis were used to assess the prognostic value of LANR in progression-free survival of breast cancer patients.

Results

The median age of the patients was 55.5 years (range 50-62 years). The median follow-up time was 46 months (range 33-55 months). In progression-free survival, the area under the LANR curve was 0.748 and the HR (95% CI) was 0.035 (0.679-0.817). LANR was associated with age (p = 0.02), positive axillary lymph nodes (p < 0.001), TNM stage (p < 0.001) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(p = 0.004). The results indicated that preoperative LANR may be a reliable predictor of progression-free survival in patients with operable breast cancer.

Conclusion

LANR may be an essential predictor for breast cancer patients and provides a therapeutic basis for clinicians and patients.

Protective effect of height on long-term survival of resectable lung cancer: a new feature of the lung cancer paradox

INTRODUCTION

Unlike most malignancies, higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer and improved prognosis after surgery. However, it remains controversial whether height, one of determinants of BMI, is associated with survival independently of BMI and other confounders.

METHODS

We extracted data on all consecutive patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer included in Epithor, the French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery database, over a 16-year period. Height was analysed as a continuous variable, and then categorised into four or three categories, according to sex-specific quantiles. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the association of height with survival, adjusted for age, tobacco consumption, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), WHO performance status (WHO PS), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, extent of resection, histological type, stage of disease and centre as a random effect, as well as BMI in a further analysis.

RESULTS

The study included 61 379 patients. Higher height was significantly associated with better long-term survival after adjustment for other variables (adjusted HR 0.97 per 10 cm higher height, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.99); additional adjustment for BMI resulted in an identical HR. The prognostic impact of height was further confirmed by stratifying by age, ASA class, WHO PS and histological type. When stratifying by BMI class, there was no evidence of a differential association (p=0.93). When stratifying by stage of disease, the prognostic significance of height was maintained for all stages except IIIB-IV.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that height is an independent prognostic factor of resectable lung cancer.

Integrated multi-omic analysis and experiment reveals the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is a highly prevalent malignancy worldwide and is associated with high mortality rates. While the involvement of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has been established, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

METHODS

In this study, we utilized data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify differentially expressed endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (ERSRGs) between LUAD and normal tissues. We performed various bioinformatics analyses to investigate the biological functions of these ERSRGs. Using LASSO analysis and multivariate stepwise regression, we constructed a novel prognostic model based on the ERSRGs. We further validated the performance of the model using two independent datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Additionally, we conducted functional enrichment analysis, immune checkpoint analysis, and immune infiltration analysis and drug sensitivity analysis of LUAD patients to explore the potential biological function of the model. Furthermore, we conducted a battery of experiments to verify the expression of ERSRGs in a real-world cohort.

RESULTS

We identified 106 ERSRGs associated with LUAD, which allowed us to classify LUAD patients into two subtypes based on gene expression differences. Using six prognostic genes (NUPR1, RHBDD2, VCP, BAK1, EIF2AK3, MBTPS2), we constructed a prognostic model that exhibited excellent predictive performance in the training dataset and was successfully validated in two independent external datasets. The risk score derived from this model emerged as an independent prognostic factor for LUAD. Confirmation of the linkage between this risk model and immune infiltration was affirmed through the utilization of Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. The q-PCR results verified significant differences in the expression of prognostic genes between cancer and paracancer tissues. Notably, the protein expression of NUPR1, as determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC), exhibited an opposite pattern compared to the mRNA expression patterns.

CONCLUSION

This study establishes a novel prognostic model for LUAD based on six ER stress-related genes, facilitating the prediction of LUAD prognosis. Additionally, NUPR1 was identified as a potential regulator of stress in LUAD.

Role of prognostic nutritional index in postoperative radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is known to be correlated with clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, its role has not been studied in patients who have undergone postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between PNI and survival and recurrence in NSCLC patients with PORT.

METHODS

We reviewed 97 stage I-III NSCLC patients who received PORT between January 2006 and December 2016 at our institution. We obtained PNI values for both pre-RT (within 1 month before PORT) and post-RT (within 2 months after PORT) by using serum albumin and lymphocyte count. A cutoff value for PNI was determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The median follow-up period was 52.8 months.

RESULTS

The ROC curve of post-RT PNI exhibited a higher area under the curve (AUC 0.68, cut-off: 47.1) than that of pre-RT PNI (AUC 0.55, cutoff: 50.3), so the group was divided into high post-RT PNI (> 47.1) and low post-RT PNI ( ≤ 47.1). The five-year overall survival rate (OS) was 66.2% in the high post-RT group, compared with 41.8% in the low post-RT PNI group (p = 0.018). Those with both low pre-RT and low post-RT PNI had the worst five-year OS of 31.1%. Post-RT PNI (HR 0.92, p = 0.003) was an independent risk factor for mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

PNI after PORT was significantly associated with survival. This finding suggests that PNI can be used as a prognostic marker.

Serum Albumin Affects the Time-to-treatment Failure of Alectinib: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND/AIM

Alectinib is recommended for anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion gene-positive non-small cell lung cancer. We have experienced early alectinib discontinuation due to disease progression and adverse effects in real world. Because alectinib has a high protein-binding rate of >99%, low serum albumin may increase the concentration of free drug and affect efficacy and adverse events. However, no association between serum albumin and the clinical impact of alectinib has been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of serum albumin on time-to-treatment failure (TTF) in alectinib.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-six patients who were admitted to four hospitals (National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Cancer Center, Sapporo Minami-Sanjo Hospital, KKR Sapporo Medical Center, Otaru General Hospital) between October 2014 and September 2020 were retrospectively evaluated to identify those treated with alectinib.

RESULTS

The multivariate analysis showed that the risk of discontinuation was significantly higher with serum albumin <3.6 g/dl compared to ≥3.6 g/dl at the start of alectinib administration (hazard ratio=3.00; 95% confidence interval=1.36-6.66; p<0.01). On Kaplan-Meier curves, TTF for serum albumin <3.6 was significantly shorter than that for ≥3.6. (median TTF: 12.1 months vs. not reach, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that serum albumin <3.6 g/dl at alectinib induction is associated with poor TTF. Low serum albumin is a poor prognostic factor in cancer patients. Thus, serum albumin levels must be measured before treatment.

Comparison of the efficacy between immunochemotherapy and chemotherapy in gastric cancer accompanied with synchronous liver metastases: A real-world retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated the efficacy of comprehensive therapies, including immunotherapy, for gastric cancer with synchronous liver metastases (GCLM). We retrospectively compared the effect of immunochemotherapy and chemotherapy alone as conversion therapies on the oncological outcomes of patients with GCLM.

METHODS

The clinicopathological data of 100 patients with GCLM from February 2017 to October 2021 at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into immunochemotherapy (n = 33) and chemotherapy-alone (n = 67) groups.

RESULTS

Baseline clinicopathological data did not differ significantly between the two groups. The immunochemotherapy group had a higher overall response rate (59.4% vs. 44.0%, p = 0.029) and disease control rate (71.9% vs. 49.2%, p = 0.036) than the chemotherapy group. The immunochemotherapy group showed better tumor regression in the gastric mass, metastatic lymph nodes, and liver lesions than the chemotherapy group. Ten (30.3%) patients in the immunochemotherapy group and 13 (19.4%) patients in the chemotherapy group underwent surgery after conversion therapy. However, the difference was not statistically significant. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were better in the immunochemotherapy group than in the chemotherapy group. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 24 (72.7%) and 47 (70.1%) patients in the immunochemotherapy and chemotherapy groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

As a conversion therapy for GCLM, immunotherapy yielded better primary and metastatic tumor regression and survival benefits, with no increase in adverse events compared to chemotherapy.

Predictive factors associated with anastomotic leakage after resection of rectal cancer: a multicenter study with the Hiroshima Surgical study group of Clinical Oncology

PURPOSE

Several factors have been reported as risk factors for anastomotic leakage after resection of rectal cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for anastomotic leakage, including nutritional and immunological indices, following rectal cancer resection.

METHODS

This study used a multicenter database of 803 patients from the Hiroshima Surgical study group of Clinical Oncology who underwent rectal resection with stapled anastomosis for rectal cancer between October 2016 and April 2020.

RESULTS

In total, 64 patients (8.0%) developed postoperative anastomotic leakage. Five factors were significantly associated with the development of anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer resection with stapled anastomosis: male sex, diabetes mellitus, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio ≥ 0.07, prognostic nutritional index < 40, and low anastomosis under peritoneal reflection. The incidence of anastomotic leakage was correlated with the number of risk factors. The novel predictive formula based on odds ratios in the multivariate analysis was useful for identifying patients at high risk for anastomotic leakage. Diverting ileostomy reduced the ratio of anastomotic leakage ≥ grade III after rectal cancer resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Male sex, diabetes mellitus, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio ≥ 0.07, prognostic nutritional index < 40, and low anastomosis under peritoneal reflection are possible risk factors for developing anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer resection with the stapled anastomosis. Patients at high risk of anastomotic leakage should be assessed for the potential benefits of diverting stoma.

Prognostic significance of controlling nutritional status score for patients with gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta‑analysis

There is a need to identify potentially useful biomarker(s) for the prediction of prognostic outcomes in patients diagnosed with gastric cancer. This meta-analysis provided updated evidence on the association of controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score with survival and other clinicopathological outcomes in patients with gastric cancer. PubMed and Scopus databases were systematically searched. The review included studies, observational in design, that were conducted among patients with gastric cancer and had documented the association of CONUT score with outcomes of interest. The primary outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) along with tumour size and extent (T status), nodal status (N status) and tumour staging (TNM staging). STATA was used for statistical analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted with 17 studies. The 5-year OS [hazard ratio (HR), 1.75; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.55, 1.96], RFS (HR, 1.58; 95% CI: 1.30, 1.91) and CSS (HR, 1.89; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.52) were comparatively poorer in the high CONUT group, than in low CONUT group. High CONUT score was associated with increased risk of having T3/T4 tumour [odds ratio (OR), 1.64; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.34], N2/N3 nodal status (OR, 1.44; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.77) and stage III/IV tumour (OR, 1.64; 95% CI: 1.43, 1.88). The risk of microvascular invasion (OR, 1.46; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.77) and post-operative complications (OR, 1.64; 95% CI: 1.31, 2.06) was higher in those with high CONUT. There were no differences in the risk of poorly differentiated tumour and need for adjuvant chemotherapy between the two groups. Findings suggested that preoperative assessment of CONUT score may be included in the routine assessment of patients with gastric cancer due to its association with survival and other clinical as well as pathological outcomes.

Systemic Inflammation and Lung Cancer: Is It a Real Paradigm? Prognostic Value of Inflammatory Indexes in Patients with Resected Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background (1): Our goal was to investigate if and how pre-operative inflammatory status can influence the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing lung surgery for cancer. Materials and Methods (2): This prospective observational study includes the agreement of all operable patients to the study, who were referred to our department between 1 January 2017 and 30 December 2018. The inflammatory pre-operative status of the patients was investigated by calculating albumin, CPR (c-protein reactive), complete blood count (neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, hemoglobin), and some other indexes referring to inflammatory status, namely the HALP amalgamated index, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and advanced lung cancer inflammation Index (ALI). The follow-up ended in November 2021. Patient overall survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare survival rates. Variables significantly associated with survival at univariate analysis were entered int Cox multivariate analysis (stepwise mode) to assess their independent character. Hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Variables associated with p < 0.05 were considered significative. Results (3): We enrolled 257 patients in our study. The overall survival of the cohort was as follows: 1 year, 96.1%; 3 year, 81.3%; and 4 year, 74.2%. Univariate analysis showed risk factors for overall survival as follows: Thoracoscore ≥ 2 (p = 0.002); histology (p = 0.002); HALP < 32.2 (p = 0.0002); SII ≥ 808.9 (p = 0.0004); ALI < 34.86 (p = 0.0005); NLr ≥ 2.29 (p = 0.01); hemoglobin < 13 g/dl (p = 0.01); PLR ≥ 196.1 (p = 0.005); pN+ (p < 0.0001); pleural invasion (p = 0.0002); and presence of vascular or lymphatic tumor emboli (p = 0.0002). Multivariate Cox analysis (stepwise model) identified Thoracoscore ≥ 2 (p = 0.02); histology, HALP < 32.2 (p = 0.004), and pN (p < 0.0001) as independent predictors of death. Conclusion (4): Pre-operative inflammatory status strongly influences long-term prognosis in patients affected by NSCLC and undergoing surgery.

The advanced lung cancer inflammation index is a prognostic factor for gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) is a comprehensive assessment indicator that can reflect inflammation and nutrition conditions. However, there are some controversies about whether ALI is an independent prognostic factor for gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing surgical resection. Thus, we aimed to clarify its prognostic value and explore the potential mechanisms.

METHODS

Four databases including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI were used for searching eligible studies from inception to June 28, 2022. All gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), gastric cancer (GC), esophageal cancer (EC), liver cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and pancreatic cancer were enrolled for analysis. We focused on prognosis most in the current meta-analysis. Survival indicators, including overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and cancer-special survival (CSS) were compared between the high ALI group and the low ALI group. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was submitted as a supplementary document.

RESULTS

We finally included fourteen studies involving 5091 patients in this meta-analysis. After pooling the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), ALI was found to be an independent prognostic factor for both OS (HR = 2.09, I² = 92%, 95% CI = 1.53 to 2.85, P < 0.01), DFS (HR = 1.48, I² = 83%, 95% CI = 1.18 to 1.87, P < 0.01), and CSS (HR = 1.28, I² = 1%, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.60, P = 0.03) in gastrointestinal cancer. After subgroup analysis, we found that ALI was still closely related to OS for CRC (HR = 2.26, I² = 93%, 95% CI = 1.53 to 3.32, P < 0.01) and GC (HR = 1.51, I² = 40%, 95% CI = 1.13 to 2.04, P = 0.006) patients. As for DFS, ALI also has a predictive value on the prognosis of CRC (HR = 1.54, I² = 85%, 95% CI = 1.14 to 2.07, P = 0.005) and GC (HR = 1.37, I² = 0%, 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.73, P = 0.007) patients.

CONCLUSION

ALI affected gastrointestinal cancer patients in terms of OS, DFS, and CSS. Meanwhile, ALI was a prognostic factor both for CRC and GC patients after subgroup analysis. Patients with low ALI had poorer prognoses. We recommended that surgeons should perform aggressive interventions in patients with low ALI before the operation.

Naples Prognostic Score as an Independent Predictor of Survival Outcomes for Resected Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients After Neoadjuvant Treatment

Background

The Naples Prognostic Score (NPS) can reflect patient's nutritional and inflammatory status, which is identified as a prognostic indicator for various malignant tumors. However, its significance in patients with resected locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) patients who receive neoadjuvant treatment remains unclear so far.

Methods

A total of 165 LA-NSCLC patients surgically treated from May 2012 to November 2017 were retrospectively investigated. The LA-NSCLC patients were divided into three groups according to NPS scores. The receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was performed to reveal the discriminatory ability of NPS and other indicators for predicting the survival. The NPS and clinicopathological variables were further evaluated the prognostic value by univariate and multivariate Cox analysis.

Results

The NPS was related to age (P = 0.046), smoking history (P = 0.004), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score (P = 0.005), and adjuvant treatment (P = 0.017). Patients with high NPS scores had worse overall survival (OS) (group 1 vs 0, P = 0.006; group 2 vs 0, P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (group 1 vs 0, P < 0.001; group 2 vs 0, P < 0.001). The ROC analysis demonstrated that NPS had better predictive ability than other prognostic indicators. Multivariate analysis revealed that NPS was independent prognostic indicator of OS (group 1 vs 0, hazard ratio [HR] =2.591, P = 0.023; group 2 vs 0, HR = 8.744, P = 0.001) and DFS (group 1 vs 0, HR =3.754, P < 0.001; group 2 vs 0, HR = 9.673, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The NPS could be an independent prognostic indicator in patients with resected LA-NSCLC receiving neoadjuvant treatment and more reliable than the other nutritional and inflammatory indicators.

Prognostic Utility of Nutritional Risk Index in Patients with Head and Neck Soft Tissue Sarcoma

BACKGROUND

The nutritional risk index (NRI) is an excellent indicator of nutritional status and a significant prognostic factor in several malignancies, but the relationship between NRI and the prognosis of head and neck soft tissue sarcoma (HNSTS) patients remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of NRI in patients with HNSTS.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with HNSTS between 1990 and 2021. In order to determine the optimal cut-off value of NRI, the Maximally selected log-rank statistic was performed. We evaluated the effect of NRI on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) by using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Then, OS and PFS nomograms based on NRI were constructed.

RESULTS

In total, 436 HNSTS patients were included in this study. The optimal cut-off value of NRI was 99.34. Patients with low-NRI showed significantly worse OS and PFS than patients with high-NRI, respectively (5-year OS rate of 43.0 vs. 70.8%, 5-year PFS rate of 29.0 vs. 45.0%, all p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, distant metastasis, deep tumor depth, tumor grade, and NRI were prognostic factors for both PFS and OS, and treatment modality was associated with OS but not PFS. The concordance indexes (C-indexes) of OS and PFS nomograms were 0.794 (95% CI, 0.759-0.829) and 0.663 (95% CI, 0.626-0.700), respectively, which also performed well in the validation set.

CONCLUSIONS

NRI is an independent predictor of OS and PFS in HNSTS patients. The validated nomograms based on NRI provide useful predictions of OS and PFS for patients with HNSTS.

Prognostic value of the modified advanced lung cancer inflammation index in overweight or obese patients with lung cancer: Results from a multicenter study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to explore the relationship between the modified advanced lung cancer inflammation index (mALI) and the survival of overweight or obese patients with lung cancer (LC).

METHODS

The mALI was defined as the appendix skeletal muscle index multiplied by the serum albumin level/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. The cutoff values for males and females were assessed separately. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and statistical differences were determined using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used for the survival analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare the prognostic value of mALI with other nutrition assessment indicators.

RESULTS

The mALI cut-offs for males and females were 8.59 and 8.26, respectively. Malnutrition, high systemic inflammation, and advanced stage for overweight or obese LC patients were found to be correlated with a low mALI. The median survival of patients with a low mALI was significantly lower than patients with a high mALI by approximately 25 months. In addition, the mALI can be used as an effective supplement to the traditional pathological stage. Multivariable analysis found that mALI was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.531; 95% CI, 0.402-0.700; P < 0.001). The prognostic predictive performance of mALI was superior to that of other nutrition assessment indicators.

CONCLUSIONS

The mALI was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of overweight or obese LC patients, and a useful supplement to the pathological stage.

Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Update and New Challenges

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a serious threat to the health of older adults. Despite the significant progress in immunotherapy, effective treatments for NSCLC remain limited. The development of tumors indicates failure in immune surveillance and the successful immune escape of tumor cells. Research on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) revealed these opposing immune processes and contributed to the discovery of new methods to suppress the immune escape and restore the immune surveillance functions. This paper aimed to provide updates on the current findings regarding the relevance of TIME in NSCLC treatment. It also aimed to introduce the TIME, immune editing, cancer immunotherapy, and new challenges. Based on the clinical data, the combination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is suitable for patients with NSCLC who are not eligible to undergo surgery. Combined ICI therapy after epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy should be considered in patients with EGFR mutations. Chemoradiotherapy may increase the density of CD8⁺ lymphocytes, which is significantly associated with better prognosis. For older patients and those with advanced-stage disease, regional tumor treatments, such as stereotactic radiation therapy and percutaneous cryoablation, may be more suitable, but further studies are needed to confirm this. In conclusion, restoring immune surveillance is as important as removing cancerous tissues; further studies that include the use of combined treatment methods, individualized treatment plans, and immunonutrition are warranted.

Tobacco Use and Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Tobacco is a known risk factor for lung cancer, and continued tobacco use is associated with poorer outcomes across multiple lung cancer treatment modalities including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Less is known about the association of tobacco use and outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which are becoming an important part of the treatment landscape in lung cancer, both in metastatic and curative settings. We reviewed the literature on the association of tobacco and tumor biology as it relates to immunotherapy. We also reviewed the association of tobacco use on outcomes among phase III randomized clinical trials involving ICIs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We identified that patients with a smoking history may have a greater benefit with ICI treatment compared to never smokers in both treatment-naïve (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69-0.97, vs. HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.81-1.38) and pre-treated (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.70-0.90 vs. 1.03, 95% CI 0.74-1.43) settings. In trials where smoking status was further defined, ex-smokers appear to demonstrate greater benefit with ICI therapy compared to current smokers (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.59-1.01 vs. 0.91, 95% CI 0.72-1.14). We conclude by offering our perspective on future directions in this area of research, including implementation of standardized collection and analysis of tobacco use in clinical trials involving ICI therapy in lung cancer and other disease sites, and also evaluating how tobacco may affect toxicities related to ICI therapy. Based on our review, we believe that a patient's history of tobacco smoking does have a role to play in guiding treatment decision making in patients with lung cancer.

Combination of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and Carcinoembryonic Antigen to Predict the Survival of Patients With Colorectal Cancer

Background

This study explored the value of the combination of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for the prognosis assessment of CRC patients.

Methods

This study retrospectively enrolled 1,014 CRC patients who underwent surgery between 2012 and 2014. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to compare survival differences. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess risk factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Nomograms were constructed to predict the prognosis of CRC patients. Randomized internal validation was used to confirm the predictive accuracy of the prognostic nomograms.

Results

The GNRI-CEA score was established by combining GNRI and CEA. Compared with patients with normal GNRI-CEA scores, patients with mild/moderate/severe GNRI-CEA scores had significantly lower survival (PFS, 68.99% vs. 57.75% vs. 41.34% vs. 31.36%, p < 0.001; OS, 68.99% vs. 57.75% vs. 41.34% vs. 31.36%, p < 0.001). The GNRI-CEA score is an independent factor predicting the prognosis of CRC patients. The risk of death was twofold higher in patients with low GNRI and high CEA than in those with both normal GNRI and CEA [PFS, hazard ratio (HR), 2.339; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.656-3.303; p < 0.001; OS, HR, 2.340; 95% CI, 1.645-3.329; p < 0.001]. Prognostic nomograms had good resolution and accuracy in predicting 1-5 year PFS and OS. Randomized internal validation showed that the nomograms were reliable.

Conclusion

The combination of GNRI and CEA can effectively stratify the prognosis of CRC patients. The nomogram established based on the two indices can provide a personalized reference for prognostic assessment and clinical decision-making for CRC patients.

Blood Biomarkers of Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), either used in monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. While some patients achieve durable responses, some will not get benefit from this treatment. Early identification of non- responder patients could avoid unnecessary treatment, potentially serious immune-related adverse events and reduce treatment costs. PD-L1 expression using immunohistochemistry is the only approved biomarker for the selection of patients that can benefit from immunotherapy. However, application of PD-L1 as a biomarker of treatment efficacy shows many deficiencies probably due to the complexity of the tumor microenvironment and the technical limitations of the samples. Thus, there is an urgent need to find other biomarkers, ideally blood biomarkers to help us to identify different subgroups of patients in a minimal invasive way. In this review, we summarize the emerging blood-based markers that could help to predict the response to ICIs in NSCLC.

Naples prognostic score: a novel predictor of survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer

Purpose: The predictive significance of the Naples prognostic score (NPS) in HER2-positive breast cancer is unclear. Hence we sought to evaluate the relationship between NPS and the clinical outcomes in HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Methods: This study retrospectively collected and analyzed data from 173 HER2-positive breast cancer patients between August 2004 and February 2014. The Cox regression model was applied in univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Results: In multivariate analysis, increased NPS score correlated significantly with poor overall survival (p = 0.001) and disease-free survival (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings may point to NPS being a novel and reliable prognostic score system with favorable predictive ability for HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

Preoperative geriatric nutritional risk index is an independent prognostic factor for postoperative survival after gallbladder cancer radical surgery

Background

Currently, the surgical outcomes of gallbladder cancer (GBC) are not always satisfactory. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) can effectively assess nutritional status. This study intends to investigate whether the preoperative GNRI can predict the prognosis of GBC.

Methods

202 consecutive GBC patients who underwent treatment from 2010 to 2017 were selected and analyzed retrospectively. By using the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses on overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), the preoperative GNRI of GBC patients was evaluated.

Results

Among the 202 patients, the GNRI of the 86 patients (42.6%) was less than 98. The patients with low preoperative GNRI had the median OS of 26 months, which was less than the median OS of 39 months among those patients who had higher preoperative GNRI (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that low GNRI was related to short survival time (HR 3.656, 95% CI 2.308–5.790, P < 0.001). In addition, the results of multivariate analysis revealed that, the patients with low GNRI showed a lower OS (HR 2.207, 95% CI 1.131–4.308, P = 0.020) and RFS (HR 2.964, 95% CI 1.577–5.571, P = 0.001) than those patients with higher GNRI.

Conclusion

GNRI is an independent indicator of poor prognosis in GBC patients after GBC radical surgery.

Prognostic Value of Prognostic Nutritional Index in Patients With Colorectal Cancer Undergoing Surgical Treatment

Background

To investigate the relationship between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and the survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) undergoing surgical treatment.

Methods

In total 1,014 CRC patients who underwent surgical treatment were enrolled. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the features that influenced postoperative complications in CRC patients. Restricted cubic spline was used to assess the dose-response relationship between PNI and survival in CRC patients. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare survival differences between groups of CRC patients. Cox proportional risk regression models was used to assess independent risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of CRC patients.

Results

Low PNI was associated with high tumor burden, invasive pathological features, and poor host status. Compared with patients with high PNI, patients with low PNI have a higher incidence of complications and longer hospital stay. Low PNI was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications in CRC patients. for every SD increased in PNI, the risk of poor prognosis for CRC patients was reduced by 2.3% (HR = 0.977, 95%CI = 0.962-0.993, p = 0.004) in PFS, and 2.3% (HR = 0.977, 95%CI = 0.962-0.993, p = 0.004) in OS. PNI was an independent prognostic factor affecting the PFS and OS of CRC patients. Finally, we constructed the PNI-based nomograms to predict postoperative complications, 1-5 years PFS and OS in CRC patients. Concordance index and calibration curve indicated that the PNI-based nomograms have moderate prediction accuracy.

Conclusion

PNI is an independent risk factor affecting postoperative complications, PFS and OS of CRC patients, and is a useful supplement to the TNM stage.

Updated Prognostic Factors in Localized NSCLC

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80% of lung cancer subtypes. Patients with localized non-small cell lung cancer may be considered for upfront surgical treatment. However, the overall 5-year survival rate is 59%. To improve survival, adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) was largely explored and showed an overall benefit of survival at 5 years < 7%. The evaluation of recurrence risk and subsequent need for ACT is only based on tumor stage (TNM classification); however, more than 25% of patients with stage IA/B tumors will relapse. Recently, adjuvant targeted therapy has been approved for EGFR-mutated resected NSCLC and trials are evaluating other targeted therapies and immunotherapies in adjuvant settings. Costs, treatment duration, emergence of resistant clones and side effects stress the need for a better selection of patients. The identification and validation of prognostic and theranostic markers to better stratify patients who could benefit from adjuvant therapies are needed. In this review, we report current validated clinical, pathological and molecular prognosis biomarkers that influence outcome in resected NSCLC, and we also describe molecular biomarkers under evaluation that could be available in daily practice to drive ACT in resected NSCLC.

Nomograms predicting prognosis of patients with pathological stages T1N2-3 and T3N0 gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with pathological stages T1N2-3 (pT1N2-3) and pT3N0 gastric cancer (GC) have not been routinely included in the target population for postoperative chemotherapy according to the Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guideline, and their prognosis is significantly different.

AIM

To identify the high-risk patients after radical surgery by analyzing biomarkers and clinicopathological features and construct prognostic models for them.

METHODS

A total of 459 patients with pT1N2-3/pT3N0 GC were retrospectively selected for the study. The Chi-square test was used to analyze the differences in the clinicopathological features between the pT1N2-3 and pT3N0 groups. The Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to analyze overall survival (OS). The independent risk factors for patient prognosis were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses based on the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The cutoff values of continuous variables were identified by receiver operating characteristic curve. The nomogram models were constructed with R studio.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in OS between the pT1N2-3 and pT3N0 groups (P = 0.374). Prealbumin (P = 0.040), carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) (P = 0.021), and metastatic lymph node ratio (mLNR) (P = 0.035) were independent risk factors for prognosis in the pT1N2-3 group. Age (P = 0.039), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.002), and gastrectomy (P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for prognosis in the pT3N0 group. The area under the curve values of the nomogram models for predicting the 5-year prognosis of the pT1N2-3 group and pT3N0 group were 0.765 and 0.699, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Nomogram model combining prealbumin, CEA, and mLNR levels can be used to predict the prognosis of pT1N2-3 GC. Nomogram model combining age, BMI, and gastrectomy can be used to predict the prognosis of pT3N0 GC.

Combination of Nutritional Risk Index and Handgrip Strength on the Survival of Patients with Cancer Cachexia: A Multi- Center Cohort Study

PURPOSE

The nutritional risk index (NRI) and handgrip strength (HGS) are useful indicators of nutritional and physical status, respectively, both of them can predict the prognosis of many cancers; however, the predictive accuracy of a single indicator is unsatisfactory. Whether the combination of NRI and HGS could enhance the stratification of the prognosis of patients with cancer cachexia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study population was randomly divided into training and validation cohorts. We combined NRI and HGS and constructed the NRI-HGS score. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess the associations between NRI, HGS, and all-cause mortality. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival probability of the patients. The Cox proportional hazards risk model was used to analyze survival and prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Low NRI and low HGS were independent predictors of poor prognosis in patients with cancer cachexia. The NRI-HGS score showed a better prognostic stratification than either NRI or HGS. The co-occurrence of low NRI and low HGS was associated with an approximately 1.8-fold increased risk of mortality. The NRI-HGS score could effectively distinguish patients with a poor prognosis at different pathological stages. Furthermore, we constructed a novel prognostic nomogram based on NRI and HGS. The concordance index and calibration plot confirmed that the nomogram had good prognostic accuracy. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram reached >0.8, which was much higher than that of the traditional tumor-node-metastasis staging system. The nomogram provided better prognostic stratification for patients with cancer cachexia.

CONCLUSION

Low NRI and low HGS are independent prognostic indicators in cancer cachexia. The combination of NRI and HGS improve prognostic stratification for patients with cancer cachexia. Our study suggests combining nutritional and physical status in future cachexia research.

Twenty-Year Survival of Patients Operated on for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: The Impact of Tumor Stage and Patient-Related Parameters

Surgery is the mainstay treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its impact on very-long-term survival (beyond 15 years) has never been evaluated.

METHODS

All patients operated on for major lung resection (Jun. 2001-Dec. 2002) for NSCL in the Thoracic Surgery Department at Paris-Hôtel-Dieu-University-Hospital were included. Patients' characteristics were prospectively collected. Vital status was obtained by checking INSEE database and verifying if reported as "non-death" by the hospital administrative database and direct phone interviews with patients of families.

RESULTS

345 patients were included. The 15- and 20-year survival rates were 12.2% and 5.7%, respectively. At univariate analysis, predictors of worse survivals were: increasing age at surgery (p = 0.0042), lower BMI (p = 0.009), weight loss (p = 0.0034), higher CRP (p = 0.049), pathological stage (p = 0.00000042), and, among patients with adenocarcinoma, higher grade (p = 0.028). Increasing age (p = 0.004), cumulative smoking (p = 0.045), lower BMI (0.046) and pathological stage (p = 0.0026), were independent predictors of long-term survival at Cox multivariate analysis. In another model, increasing age (p = 0.013), lower BMI (p = 0.02), chronic bronchitis (p = 0.03), lower FEV1% (p = 0.00019), higher GOLD class of COPD (p = 0.0079), and pathological stage (p = 0.000024), were identified as independent risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Very-long-term survivals could be achieved after surgery of NSCLC, and factors classically predicting 5- and 10-years survival also determined longer outcomes suggesting that both initial tumor aggressiveness and host's characteristics act beyond the period usually taken into account in oncology.

Gene of the month: T-cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domains (TIGIT)

Immune modulators play a crucial role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression by impairing cancer cell-targeted immune responses. T-cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domains (TIGIT) regulates T-cell function and cancer cell recognition and was therefore identified as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. TIGIT is expressed in T cells and natural killer (NK) cells and has three ligands: CD155, CD112 and CD113. CD155 binds TIGIT with the highest affinity and promotes direct and indirect downregulation of T-cell response. TIGIT signalling further inhibits NK function and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. An association between TIGIT expression and poor survival was identified in multiple cancer entities. Blocking TIGIT with monoclonal antibodies, and a combination of TIGIT and programmed cell death protein 1 blockade in particular, prevented tumour progression, distant metastasis and tumour recurrence in in vivo models. Inhibition of TIGIT is currently evaluated in first clinical trials.

Prognostic impact of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in non-small cell lung carcinomas

INTRODUCTION

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes represent a pivotal component of the host anti-tumor response. Thus, they considerably influence the evolution of cancers including non-small cell lung carcinomas. Even if, this important role is consensual, many discordant results are published in the literature about the prognostic role of the different populations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The aim of our work was to evaluate the prognostic impact of CD8+, CD4+, and forkhead box protein P3+ lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment of non-small cell lung carcinomas.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective descriptive study, which included non-small cell lung carcinomas diagnosed in the department of pathology and followed in the medical oncology department of the same hospital between 2011 and 2015. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were analyzed by the immunohistochemical method for forkhead box protein P3, CD4, and CD8. Intratumoral and stromal-labeled lymphocytes were quantified by manual counting at high magnification (×400). Forkhead box protein P3+/CD8+, forkhead box protein P3+/CD4+, and CD8+/CD4+ ratios were subsequently calculated. The prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was assessed in respect of overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and relapse-free survival.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients were included. The mean age of patients was 59.6 years. A complete surgical resection (p = 0.009), and a CD8/CD4 ratio (p = 0.008) were prognostic factors for overall survival. Complete surgical resection (p = 0.003), the forkhead box protein P3/CD8 (p = 0.005), and forkhead box protein P3/CD4 (p = 0.037) ratios were prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival. The CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes rate (p = 0.037) was a prognostic factor for relapse-free survival with a threshold of 67.8/high power field. Microscopic subtype (p = 0.037) was a prognostic factor for relapse-free survival when only adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were considered. In multivariate analysis, age (p = 0.004) and a CD8/CD4 ratio (p = 0.016) were independent predictors of overall survival.

CONCLUSION

Despite the limitations of our study, our results confirm the prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in non-small cell lung carcinomas and the importance of the combined quantification of their different subpopulations.

Preoperative prognostic nutritional index level is associated with tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte status in patients with surgically resected lung squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is an indicator of systemic immune-nutritional condition and is a well-known prognostic biomarker in lung cancer patients. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is a specific histological feature of cancers, influencing an individual's immunological tumour responses. However, whether PNI can reflect lung cancer patients' prognosis through local immunity such as TIL is unclear.

METHODS

We selected 64 lung squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent curative operations. We investigated the significance of preoperative PNI level and evaluated the relationship between PNI and immune cells surrounding the lung cancer tissue using immunohistochemical analysis of a cluster of differentiation (CD)3, CD4, CD8 and CD68.

RESULTS

A low-PNI level was significantly associated with a worse postoperative prognosis (P = 0.042). The PNI (hazard ratio 2.768, 95% confidence interval 1.320-5.957; P = 0.007) was an independent prognostic factor. The low-PNI group had a significantly shorter recurrence-free survival and overall survival (P = 0.013 and P = 0.002, log-rank test) compared with the high-PNI group. A significant positive correlation between PNI components including preoperative peripheral blood lymphocyte count and serum albumin concentration, and TILs, was observed. Absolute numbers of TILs in the preoperative high-PNI group were significantly increased compared with those in the preoperative low-PNI group (CD3+ cells; P = 0.002, CD4+ cells; P = 0.049 and CD8+ cells; P = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative PNI level was strongly associated with the postoperative outcome in lung cancer patients. Considering the positive relationship between preoperative PNI level and TIL status, preoperative immune-nutritional condition may influence lung cancer patients' postoperative prognosis through local immunity as well as systemic immune response.

The Reality of Lung Cancer Paradox: The Impact of Body Mass Index on Long-Term Survival of Resected Lung Cancer. A French Nationwide Analysis from the Epithor Database

Obesity could have a protective effect in patients with lung cancer. We assessed the prognostic role of preoperative BMI on survival in patients who underwent lung resection for NSCLC. A total of 54,631 consecutive patients with resectable lung cancer within a 15-year period were extracted from Epithor (the French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery database). Patient subgroups were defined according to body mass index (BMI): underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m²), overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m²), and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). Underweight was associated with lower survival (unadjusted HRs 1.24 (1.16-1.33)) compared to normal weight, whereas overweight and obesity were associated with improved survival (0.95 (0.92-0.98) and 0.88 (0.84-0.92), respectively). The impact of BMI was confirmed when stratifying for sex or Charlson comorbidities index (CCI). Among patients with obesity, a higher BMI was associated with improved survival. After adjusting for period of study, age, sex, WHO performance status, CCI, side of tumor, extent of resection, histologic type, and stage of disease, the HRs for underweight, overweight, and obesity were 1.51 (1.41-1.63), 0.84 (0.81-0.87), and 0.80 (0.76-0.84), respectively. BMI is a strong and independent predictor of survival in patients undergoing surgery for NSCLC.

Effect of Lowest Postoperative Pre-albumin on Outcomes after Robotic-Assisted Pulmonary Lobectomy

Objective:

Lower pre-albumin levels have been associated with increased rates of post-surgical complications, prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS), and death. This study aims to investigate the effect of postoperative pre-albumin levels on perioperative and long-term outcomes following robotic-assisted video thoracoscopic (RAVT) pulmonary lobectomy.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed 459 consecutive patients who underwent RAVT pulmonary lobectomy by one surgeon for known or suspected lung cancer. The lowest pre-albumin values during the postoperative hospital stay were recorded. Twenty-three patients with no pre-albumin levels available were excluded from analysis. Patients were grouped as having normal (≥ 15 mg/dL) versus low (< 15mg/dL) pre-albumin. Outcomes and demographics were compared between groups using Pearson χ², Student’s t, or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Univariate and multivariate generalized linear regression, logistic regression, or Cox proportional hazard ratio models were used to assess the association between outcomes and variables of interest. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to estimate and depict survival probabilities for each group.

Results:

Our study population comprised 436 patients. Lowest postoperative pre-albumin below 15 mg/dL was associated with more postoperative complications (44.2% vs 24.9%, p < 0.001), longer chest tube duration (6.9 vs 4.6 days, p = 0.001), and longer LOS (7.0 vs. 4.4 days, p < 0.001). In survival analysis, lowest perioperative pre-albumin levels were found to correlate with decreased 1 year (p = 0.012), 3-year (p = 0.001), and 5-year survival (p = 0.001).

Conclusion:

Lower pre-albumin levels postoperatively are associated with more postoperative complications, longer chest tube duration and LOS, and decreased overall survival following robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy.

Blood-based protein biomarkers in bladder urothelial tumors

Bladder cancer (BC) is the fifth most common cancer with a high prevalence rate. It is classically classified in two groups, namely non-muscle invasive (NMIBC) and muscle invasive (MIBC). NMIBC accounts for 75% of cases and has a better prognosis than MIBC. However, 30-50% of the NMIBC patients will show recurrences throughout their lives, and about 10-20% of them will progress to MIBC, with frequent metastasis and a reduced survival rate. The diagnosis of bladder cancer is confirmed by direct visualization of the tumour and other mucosal abnormalities with endoscopic excision using cystoscopy and transurethral resection of the bladder (TURBT). An adequate TURBT requires complete resection of all visible tumour with appropriate sampling of the bladder to assess the depth of invasion. However, for many years, researchers have attempted to identify and utilise urinary markers for bladder cancer detection. Voided urine cytology has been the mainstay of urine-based diagnosis of bladder cancer since originally described by Papanicolau and Marshall. Nonetheless, urine cytology has several drawbacks, including a poor sensitivity for low-grade/stage tumours, a lack of interobserver consistency and a variable range of readings (e.g., atypical, atypical-suspicious, non-diagnostic). These shortcomings have inspired the search for more sensitive bladder cancer biomarkers. To bring precision medicine to genitourinary oncology, the analysis of the plasma/serum wide genome and proteome offers promising possibilities.

Psoas muscle mass, nutritional status, inflammation, and their relationship with prognosis in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma

INTRODUCTION

some factors have been shown to be associated with survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Recently, some studies suggested that malnutrition, muscle mass, and inflammation might have an effect on survival in patients with pancreatic malignancy.

OBJECTIVES

to investigate the association between psoas muscle mass, inflammation, nutritional status at the time of diagnosis, and survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

this retrospective study included 219 patients diagnosed with pancreatic carcinoma. The nutritional status, inflammation, and psoas muscle mass of the patients at the time of diagnosis were evaluated. Nutritional status was assessed using the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI). Leucocyte count and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were used for inflammation assessment. Psoas muscle mass was calculated by using abdominal computed tomography images of the patients.

RESULTS

the mean age of patients (80 female and 139 male) was 66.6 ± 11.7 years. According to the PNI results, 155 patients had a normal nutritional status (70 %), whereas 64 patients were malnourished (30 %). The survival of the patients with normal nutritional status was significantly longer than that of those who were malnourished (p < 0.001). There was no significant relationship between psoas muscle area, leucocyte count, NLR, and survival time.

CONCLUSION

the survival of pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients with malnutrition at the time of diagnosis was significantly shorter than for patients without malnutrition.

The Role of Nutritional Support in Malnourished Patients With Lung Cancer

This review aimed to aggregate and describe the available data about clinical nutrition in lung cancer and the role of the dietitian in multidisciplinary patient care. Scientific literature was searched in order to summarize key aspects related to clinical nutrition in lung cancer. This information can be used to arrange a proper nutritional therapy that can enhance patient treatment responses, prevent side-effects, shorten recovery time, improve prognosis and increase quality of life. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in antioxidants, immunomodulatory compounds, dietary fibre and an appropriate intake of protein can reduce the risk of initiation and progression of lung cancer, support the regeneration of tissues (also after surgery) and improve the nutritional status during the disease and after remission. A correct intake of nutrients is significant prior to disease occurrence and at every stage of treatment and recovery.

Establishment and Verification of a Prediction Model for Symptomatic Radiation Pneumonitis in Patients with Esophageal Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy

BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the value of the significant index in predicting symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) in esophageal cancer patients, establish a nomogram prediction model, and verify the model. MATERIAL AND METHODS The patients enrolled were divided into 2 groups: a model group and a validation group. According to the logistic regression analysis, the independent predictors for symptomatic RP were obtained, and the nomogram prediction model was established according to these independent predictors. The consistency index (C-index) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model, and the prediction ability of the model was verified in the validation group. Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was used for the risk stratification analysis. RESULTS The ratio of change regarding the pre-albumin at the end of treatment (P=0.001), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio during treatment (P=0.027), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at the end of treatment (P=0.001) were the independent predictors for symptomatic RP. The C-index of the nomogram model was 0.811. According to the risk stratification of RPA, the whole group was divided into 3 groups: a low-risk group, a medium-risk group, and a high-risk group. The incidence of symptomatic RP was 0%, 16.9%, and 57.6%, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic curve also revealed that the nomogram model has good accuracy in the validation group. CONCLUSIONS The developed nomogram and corresponding risk classification system have superior prediction ability for symptomatic RP and can predict the occurrence of RP in the early stage.

Validation of the conventional Glasgow Prognostic Score and development of the improved Glasgow Prognostic Score in patients with stage 0-III colorectal cancer after curative resection

AIM

Many inflammation-nutrition scores, including the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), have been reported as prognostic biomarkers in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to examine the predictive ability of the GPS and to improve the GPS.

METHODS

We included a total of 438 patients with stage 0-III CRC who underwent curative surgery from 2010 to 2013. They were divided into a training set comprising 221 patients and a validation set comprising 227 patients, according to the date of surgery. In the training set, the GPS was verified using a Cox regression model, and cut-off values for C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin for relapse-free survival (RFS) were calculated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. The improved GPS (iGPS) was developed with additional optimal cut-off values. We also compared the iGPS with the conventional GPS in the validation set.

RESULTS

The high GPS (GPS: 1-2) was correlated with RFS and overall survival (OS) in the training set. Cut-off values of CRP and albumin for RFS were 1.6 and 3.9, and we modified the GPS accordingly, adding the cut-off values of 2 and 3.9 to CRP and albumin, respectively. In the validation set, a high iGPS was an independent prognostic factor for RFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.273; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.212-4.364; P = .011), although the conventional GPS was not.

CONCLUSION

The iGPS was a more accurate prognostic predictor for patients with stage 0-III CRC.

Total Psoas Area and Total Muscular Parietal Area Affect Long-Term Survival of Patients Undergoing Pneumonectomy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

There is no standardization in methods to assess sarcopenia; in particular the prognostic significance of muscular fatty infiltration in lung cancer patients undergoing surgery has not been evaluated so far. We thus performed several computed tomography (CT)-based morphometric measurements of sarcopenia in 238 consecutive non-small cell lung-cancer patients undergoing pneumonectomy from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2015. Sarcopenia was assessed by the following CT-based parameters: cross-sectional total psoas area (TPA), cross-sectional total muscle area (TMA), and total parietal muscle area (TPMA), defined as TMA without TPA. Measures were performed at the level of the third lumbar vertebra and were obtained for the entire muscle surface, as well as by excluding fatty infiltration based on CT attenuation. Findings were stratified for gender, and a threshold of the 33rd percentile was set to define sarcopenia. Furthermore, we assessed the possibility of being sarcopenic at both the TPA and TPMA level, or not, by taking into account of not fatty infiltration. Five-year survival was 39.1% for the whole population. Lower TPA, TMA, and TPA were associated with lower survival at univariate analysis; taking into account muscular fatty infiltration did not result in more powerful discrimination. Being sarcopenic at both psoas and parietal muscle level had the optimum discriminating power. At the multivariable analysis, being sarcopenic at both psoas and parietal muscles (considering the whole muscle areas, including muscular fat), male sex, increasing age, and tumor stage, as well as Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), were independently associated with worse long-term outcomes. We conclude that sarcopenia is a powerful negative prognostic factor in patients with lung cancer treated by pneumonectomy.

Prognostic value of the geriatric nutritional risk index among patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer who subsequently underwent immunotherapy

Background

The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) is a simple and useful marker for predicting prognosis and treatment efficacy among patients with various cancers. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no previous reports regarding the prognostic value of GNRI among patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 85 patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC who were administered ICIs at Shinshu University Hospital between February 2016 and October 2020. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between groups with high (≥89.5) and low (<89.5) GNRI values. We used univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify prognostic factors that were associated with PFS and OS.

Results

The high and low GNRI groups included 61 and 24 patients, respectively. Relative to the low GNRI group, the high GNRI group had significantly longer median PFS (3.7 vs. 2.4 months, p = 0.041) and significantly longer median OS (14.2 vs. 6.1 months, p = 0.008). Multivariate analyses revealed that independent predictors of favorable OS were high GNRI, performance status of 0–1, and age of ≥70 years. The high GNRI group was significantly more likely to undergo subsequent therapy after immunotherapy (68.6 vs. 33.3%, p = 0.008).

Conclusions

The present study revealed that high GNRI was associated with good outcomes among patients with previously treated NSCLC who were treated with ICIs.

Prognostic Value of Combined Detection of Preoperative Albumin-to-Fibrinogen Ratio and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Operable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients without Neoadjuvant Therapy

Background

We retrospectively analyzed the prognostic value of the albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR)–neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) score, comprising preoperative AFR and NLR, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients after radical resection.

Patients and Methods

Overall, 215 patients were included. The optimal cutoff value was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Based on a low AFR (<12.06) and high NLR (≥1.78), the AFR–NLR score was classified as 2 (both hematological abnormalities present), 1 (one abnormality present), or 0 (both abnormalities absent). Kaplan–Meier curves, Cox regression, and predicted nomogram were used to evaluate the prognostic value of the score.

Results

The prognostic value of the AFR–NLR score was better than that of AFR or NLR alone (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that a high AFR–NLR score was an independent predictor of poor prognosis for overall survival (P <0.001). Additionally, in the nomogram including the AFR–NLR score, the net reclassification improvement index increased by 35.5% (P <0.001), and the integrated discrimination improvement index increased by 9.0% (P <0.001). The predictive accuracy of the established nomogram model was proved using Harrell’s concordance index (0.811, 95% confidence interval: 0.765–0.856) and calibration curve. Notably, the decision analysis curve showed that the nomogram had a higher net benefit within most of the threshold probability range, indicating better clinical applicability.

Conclusion

The AFR–NLR score is a useful predictor of the prognosis of ESCC patients after radical resection, and the nomogram established on the basis of this score has a good prognostic value.

Prognostic value of the preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio for survival after lung cancer surgery

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with lung cancer treated with radical surgery.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of patients with lung cancer who prospectively underwent radical resection between 2004 and 2012. Blood samples were taken as part of the preoperative workup. The inflammatory markers studied were absolute values of lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils and platelets, with subsequent calculation of ratios. Median follow-up was 52 months.

Results

Two hundred and sixty-eight patients underwent surgery, of whom 218 (81.3%) were men. Mean age was 62.9 ± 8.7 years. A lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio ≥ 2.5 was independently associated with longer disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 0.476 (0.307–0.738), p = 0.001) and longer overall survival (HR, 0.546; 95% CI: 0.352–0.846; p = 0.007), in models adjusted for age, sex, stage, and type of resection. No other systemic inflammatory marker showed a significant association.

Conclusion

Preoperative LMR is an independent prognostic factor of overall survival and recurrence-free survival in patients with surgically-resected early stage lung cancer.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is a Useful Marker for Predicting Histological Types of Early Gastric Cancer

Background: The indications for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric cancer are based on preoperative histological assessment; however, examination of tissue biopsy is not always reliable as only a limited portion of the lesion can be obtained. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are markers of inflammatory response and are potentially associated with the grade of malignancy in gastric cancer. We aimed to investigate the association between NLR and PLR and the histology of gastric cancer. Methods: This study included 218 patients who underwent ESD for gastric cancer. The relationship between NLR/PLR and histological diagnosis was investigated. Results: Patients with adenocarcinomas showed significantly higher NLR and PLR than those with adenomas (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). Further, patients with undifferentiated adenocarcinoma showed a significantly higher NLR (p < 0.05) than those with differentiated adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: This study suggests that NLR could be a useful marker for assessing early gastric cancer.

Prognostic Value of the Preoperative Lymphocyte-to-C-Reactive Protein Ratio and Albumin-to-Globulin Ratio in Patients with Osteosarcoma

Purpose

Growing evidence indicates that preoperative biomarkers could be identified as independent prognostic factors in various cancers. The purpose of this study was to assess prognostic value of the preoperative lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR), albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) in patients with osteosarcoma.

Methods

A total of 137 osteosarcoma patients treated at our hospital between 2011 and 2019 were enrolled in the study. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. The optimal cutoff values of LCR, AGR, LMR, and CAR were assessed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to estimate overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were employed to determine the independent prognostic factors. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated to evaluate relative risk.

Results

The optimal cutoff values of LCR, AGR, LMR, and CAR were 0.14, 1.79, 3.05 and 0.24, respectively. According to the univariate analysis, OS was remarkably associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.001), pathological fracture (P < 0.001), local recurrence (P = 0.020), metastasis (P < 0.001), LCR (P = 0.035), AGR (P = 0.028), LMR (P = 0.010), and CAR (P = 0.004). In multivariate analyses, pathological fracture (P = 0.025), metastasis (P < 0.001), LCR (P = 0.012), and AGR (P = 0.001) were identified as independent risk predictors for OS.

Conclusion

The present study provides new evidence that the preoperative LCR and AGR could serve as independent prognostic factors for patients with osteosarcoma. These findings will help physicians to stratify patients for appropriate treatment protocols and facilitate decision-making so as to improve the patients' survival condition.

Prognostic value of lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio in patients with gastric cancer after surgery: a multicentre study

OBJECTIVE

The immune inflammation-based score is recognized as a prognostic marker for cancer. However, the most accurate prognostic marker for patients with gastric cancer remains undetermined. We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio for outcomes in gastric cancer patients after radical gastrectomy.

METHODS

A total of 607 gastric cancer patients treated at three Chinese institutions were included. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated, and the areas under the curve were calculated to compare the predictive value among the inflammation-based score, lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio, C-reactive protein/albumin and neutrophil-lymphocyte, platelet-lymphocyte and lymphocyte-monocyte ratios. Cox regression was performed to determine the prognostic factors for overall survival.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 63 months (range: 1-84 months). The optimal cut-off value for lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio was 0.63. The patients were divided into the LCR <0.63 (LLCR, n = 294) group and the LCR ≥0.63 (HLCR, n = 313) group. LLCR was significantly correlated with poor clinical characteristics. Compared with inflammation-based score, lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio had the highest areas under the curve (0.695). Patients with LLCR experienced more post-operative complications than the HLCR group (20.4 vs. 12.1%, P = 0.006). Multivariate analysis showed that a higher lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (HR: 0.545, 95%CI: 0.372-0.799, P = 0.002) was associated with better overall survival. The HLCR group had higher 5-year overall survival rate than the LLCR group (80.5 vs. 54.9%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio levels can effectively predict the short-term and oncological efficacy of gastric cancer patients after radical gastrectomy with a predictive value significantly better than other inflammation-based score.