Prognostic value of the pretreatment systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

Relationship between the combination of platelet count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and prognosis of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The relationship between the combination of platelet count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (COP-NLR) and prognosis in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination therapy with chemotherapy remains unclear. Thus, we investigated prognostic factors, including the COP-NLR, to identify patients who could benefit from the therapeutic efficacy of ICI combination therapy for advanced NSCLC. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between the COP-NLR score during ICI combination therapy and treatment response.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 88 patients with NSCLC who initially received ICI combination therapy. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). The prognostic factors were extracted using the Cox proportional hazards model. The relationship between COP-NLR score at 3 weeks after starting ICI combination therapy and a good response (complete response [CR] and partial response [PR]) to treatment was analyzed using the chi-square test.

RESULTS

The median OS was 15.7 months. In the multivariable analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) 2, distant metastatic sites ≥2, and baseline COP-NLR scores of 1, 2 were extracted as significant poor prognostic factors. The proportion of patients with CR and PR in the 3-week COP-NLR score of 0 group was significantly higher than that in scores of 1, 2 group.

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline COP-NLR, ECOG PS, and number of distant metastatic sites were prognostic factors in patients with NSCLC with ICI combination therapy. A lower 3-week COP-NLR was associated with a good response to treatment.

A Novel Prognostic Indicator for Immunotherapy Response: Lymphocyte-to-Albumin (LA) Ratio Predicts Survival in Metastatic NSCLC Patients

OBJECTIVE

Immunotherapies are commonly employed for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, predictive biomarkers still need to be improved to predict responses to these agents. The lymphocyte-albumin (LA) laboratory index has not been evaluated before in this patient group. The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between the LA index and the survival rate of metastatic NSCLC patients who had immunotherapy after at least one round of chemotherapy.

METHODS

The research included 227 patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC, who were administered nivolumab after at least one round of chemotherapy. The LA index was calculated by multiplying lymphocyte count and albumin concentration. The optimal threshold values for the index were established by the examination of the ROC curve for both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Oncological data were obtained retrospectively from patient files, and survival analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 7.9 months. Progression was observed in 129 (56.9%) patients. A total of 97 (42.7%) patients died during the follow-up. The cutoff values of the LA index to predict OS and PFS were determined as 52.87 and 57.67, respectively. The low-LA group had significantly lowered OS and PFS compared to the high-LA group. LA was found to be an independent prognostic factor for PFS (hazard ratio 4.47; 95% confidence interval, 2.73-7.34; p < 0.001) and OS (hazard ratio 6.24; 95% confidence interval, 3.46-11.25; p < 0.001) in the multivariate regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we observed that the LA index independently predicts OS and PFS in immunotherapy-treated metastatic NSCLC patients. Its ease of application, low cost, and noninvasive nature make it a potential guide for clinicians in predicting treatment responses and survival.

Systemic immune-inflammation index in predicting hospitalized bronchiectasis exacerbation risks and disease severity

Background

Bronchiectasis is a common respiratory disease with neutrophilic inflammation being the predominant pathophysiology. Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a simple and readily available biomarker being studied in various conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease, but not in bronchiectasis. We aim to investigate the prognostic role of SII in bronchiectasis with this study.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study in Chinese patients with non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis was conducted in Hong Kong, to investigate the association between baseline SII and of hospitalized bronchiectasis exacerbation risk over 4.5 years of follow-up, as well as correlating with disease severity in bronchiectasis. The baseline SII in 2018 was calculated based on stable-state complete blood count.

Results

Among 473 Chinese patients with non-CF bronchiectasis were recruited, 94 of the patients had hospitalized bronchiectasis exacerbation during the follow-up period. Higher SII was associated with increased hospitalized bronchiectasis exacerbation risks with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.001 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.000-1.001, P=0.003] for 1 unit (cells/µL) increase in SII count and aOR of 1.403 (95% CI: 1.126-1.748, P=0.003) for 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in SII. SII was found to have significant negative association with baseline forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) (in litre and percentage predicted), forced vital capacity (FVC) in percentage; and significant positive correlation with the extent of bronchiectasis and baseline neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

Conclusions

SII could serve as biomarker to predict the risks of hospitalized exacerbation in bronchiectasis patients, as well as correlating with the disease severity.

Prognostic significance of systemic immune inflammatory index in NSCLC: a meta-analysis

Aim: The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between the baseline systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) and prognosis in patients with NSCLC. Materials & methods: The relation between pretreatment SII and overall survival, disease-free survival, cancer-specific survival, progression-free survival and recurrence-free survival in NSCLC patients was analyzed combined with hazard ratio and 95% CI. Results: The results showed that high SII was significantly correlated with overall survival and progression-free survival of NSCLC patients, but not with disease-free survival, cancer-specific survival and recurrence-free survival. Conclusion: The study suggests that a higher SII has association with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022336270.

The correlation between systemic inflammatory markers and efficiency for advanced gastric cancer patients treated with ICIs combined with chemotherapy

Currently lacking research to explore the correlation between inflammatory markers and the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. This study is a retrospective study and included patients with advanced gastric cancer who receiving ICIs combined with chemotherapy from January 2020 to December 2022. We analysed the relationship between systemic inflammatory markers and the efficacy of ICIs combined chemotherapy and constructed a clinical prediction model. A nomogram was constructed based on the results of the bidirectional stepwise regression model. A total of 197 patients were enrolled in the training group, with a median follow-up period of time 26 months. Kaplan Meier analysis showed that the median OS of patients with low systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) and low platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was superior to those with high SII and PLR. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that SII, NLR, PLR, and N stage as independent prognostic factors for OS. Adding SII to the conventional model improved the predictive ability of the 12-month OS. A total of 95 patients were included in the validation group, and external validation of the SII-based nomogram showed favourable predictive performance. Baseline SII, PLR, and N stage may serve as independent predictive factors for survival outcomes in advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing ICIs combined with chemotherapy. The SII-based nomogram can provide intuitive and accurate prognosis prediction of individual patients.

The inflammation score predicts the prognosis of gastric cancer patients undergoing Da Vinci robot surgery

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), calculated from peripheral blood immune-inflammatory cell counts, is considered a predictor of survival in various cancers. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research into the predictive value of NLR specifically in gastric cancer patients following surgery using the Da Vinci robot. Investigate the objectives of this research, confirm the positive predictive value of NLR in the prognosis of gastric cancer patients undergoing Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery by comparing its prognostic ability with other inflammation markers and tumor biomarkers. In this retrospective analysis, information from 128 individuals diagnosed with gastric cancer and treated with da Vinci robot-assisted surgery was examined. The study examined various markers in the peripheral blood, including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) prognostic nutrition index (PNI), cancer antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).To ascertain the prognostic ability and optimal cutoff values of each parameter, operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve were utilized in the analysis. For evaluation of independent prognostic factors, we utilized Kaplan-Meier curves and multifactorial Cox analysis. The variables from the multifactorial Cox analysis were used to construct a nomogram. NLR, LMR, CEA, AFP, primary location, largest tumor size and TNM stage were all found to be significant predictive elements for overall survival (OS). Multivariate Cox identified NLR (P = 0.005), LMR (P = 0.03) and AFP (P = 0.007) as the only separate predictive variables among hematological indicators. The nomogram built using NLR demonstrates excellent predictive performance at 1 year (AUC = 0.778), 3 years (AUC = 0.773), and 5 years (AUC = 0.781). Cross-validation demonstrates that this model has favorable predictive performance and discriminative ability. NLR is an uncomplicated yet potent marker for forecasting the survival result of individuals with gastric cancer following da Vinci robotic surgery, and it possesses considerable predictive significance. The nomogram based on NLR provides patients with a visual and accurate prognosis prediction.

Influence of abdominal fat distribution and inflammatory status on post-operative prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the influence of visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and total inflammation-based systemic index (AISI) on the postoperative prognosis of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) patients.

METHODS

266 NSCLC patients received surgery from two academic medical centers were included. To assess the effect of abdominal fat measured by computed tomography (CT) imaging and inflammatory indicators on patients' overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the OS and PFS of patients in high-VFA group was better than low-VFA group (p < 0.05). AISI and SII were shown to be risk factors for OS and PFS (p < 0.05) after additional adjustment for BMI (Cox regression model II). After further adjustment for VFA (Cox regression model III), low-SFA group had longer OS (p < 0.05). Among the four subgroups based on VFA (high/low) and SFA (high/low) (p < 0.05), the high-VFA & low-SFA group had the longest median OS (108 months; 95% CI 74-117 months) and PFS (85 months; 95% CI 65-117 months), as well as the lowest SII and AISI (p < 0.05). Low-SFA was a protective factor for OS with different VFA stratification (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

VFA, SFA, SII and AISI may be employed as significant prognostic markers of postoperative survival in NSCLC patients. Moreover, excessive SFA levels may encourage systemic inflammation decreasing the protective impact of VFA, which may help to provide targeted nutritional support and interventions for postoperative NSCLC patients with poor prognosis.

Systemic immune inflammation index and gastric cancer prognosis: A systematic review and meta‑analysis

The present study aimed to pool the available data on the associations between the systemic immune inflammation index (SII) and overall survival (OS) or recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with gastric cancer (GC). A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus databases for observational studies, and a random effects model was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Pooled effect sizes were reported as hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Data from 30 studies (24 conducted in China) with follow-ups ranging between 15.5 and 65.6 months were analyzed. Patients with GC and high SII levels had poor OS (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.34-1.75) and recurrence free survival (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.17-1.70). These increased risks were present irrespective of the treatment strategy (surgical or non-surgical management), the sample size (<500 and ≥500) and the cut-off used to define high and low SII (<600 and ≥600 x109 cells/l). The results of this meta-analysis suggest that high pretreatment SII levels were associated with poor OS and RFS in patients with GC.

Actuality and underlying mechanisms of systemic immune-inflammation index and geriatric nutritional risk index prognostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma

This editorial contains comments on the article "Correlation between preoperative systemic immune inflammation index, nutritional risk index, and prognosis of radical resection of liver cancer" in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. It pointed out the actuality and importance of the article and focused primarily on the underlying mechanisms making the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) prediction features valuable. There are few publications on both SII and GNRI together in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and patient prognosis after radical surgery. Neutrophils release cytokines, chemokines, and enzymes, degrade extracellular matrix, reduce cell adhesion, and create conditions for tumor cell invasion. Neutrophils promote the adhesion of tumor cells to endothelial cells, through physical anchoring. That results in the migration of tumor cells. Pro-angiogenic factors from platelets enhance tumor angiogenesis to meet tumor cell supply needs. Platelets can form a protective film on the surface of tumor cells. This allows avoiding blood flow damage as well as immune system attack. It also induces the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of tumor cells that is critical for invasiveness. High SII is also associated with macro- and microvascular invasion and increased numbers of circulating tumor cells. A high GNRI was associated with significantly better progression-free and overall survival. HCC patients are a very special population that requires increased attention. SII and GNRI have significant survival prediction value in both palliative treatment and radical surgery settings. The underlying mechanisms of their possible predictive properties lie in the field of essential cancer features. Those features provide tumor nutrition, growth, and distribution throughout the body, such as vascular invasion. On the other hand, they are tied to the possibility of patients to resist tumor progression and development of complications in both postoperative and cancer-related settings. The article is of considerable interest. It would be helpful to continue the study follow-up to 2 years and longer. External validation of the data is needed.

Comparison of PIV and Other Immune Inflammation Markers of Oncological and Survival Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy

Inflammation is widely acknowledged as a significant characteristic of cancer, playing a substantial function in both the initiation and advancement of cancers. In this research, we planned to compare pan-immune inflammation markers and other well-known markers (systemic immune inflammation index and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio) to predict prognosis in individuals treated with radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

METHODS

In this retrospective analysis, we focused on preoperative PIV, systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in 193 individuals managed with radical cystectomy for bladder cancer between January 2016 and November 2022. Multivariable logistic regression assessments were performed to assess the predictive capabilities of PIV, SII, and NLR for infiltration of lymph nodes (N), aggressive tumor stage (pT3/pT4), and any non-organ limited disease at the time of RC. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted to assess the predictive impact of PIV on Relapse-free survival (RFS), Cancer-specific survival (CSS), and Overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Our individuals were divided into high PIV and low PIV cohorts using the optimal cut-off value (340.96 × 109/L) based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for relapse-free survival. In multivariable preoperative logistic regression models, only SII and PIV correlated with the infiltration of lymph nodes, aggressive disease, and any non-organ confined disease. In multivariable Cox regression models considering presurgical clinicopathological variables, a higher PIV was associated with diminished RFS (p = 0.017) and OS (p = 0.029). In addition, in multivariable Cox regression models for postoperative outcomes, a high PIV correlated with both RFS (p = 0.034) and OS (p = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that PIV and SII are two very similar markers that may serve as independent and significant predictors of aggressive disease and worse survival impacts on individuals undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder neoplasm.

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicts survival in patients with resected lung invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The prognostic-related factors of lung invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma(IMA) are unclear because of its rarity. Various inflammation-based biomarkers were reported to predict the survival of malignant diseases. This study aims to explore the prognostic significance of the systemic immune-inflammation index(SII), which is calculated using absolute platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, among patients with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

From January 2015 to December 2019, 106 patients were identified as having IMA accepted radical resection and enrolled in the retrospective study. We analyzed the overall survival and disease-free survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to find the optimal SII cut-off values for survival. A Cox regression model was carried out for multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 53 men and 53 women, with a mean age of 60 years (range 29 to 78 years, median 61 years). The median SII measured before surgery was 378.47 (range: 79.87-1701.97). ROC analyses revealed that the optimal cut-off values of SII was 379.43 for predicting both OS and DFS. An elevated SII (≥379.43) was observed in 52 patients (49.1 %), and was associated with younger age (P = 0.02), advanced T staging (P = 0.042), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.018) and pneumonic-type IMA (P = 0.018). Multivariable analysis showed that SII and pneumonic-type IMA were independent prognostic predictors of OS and DFS in radically resected IMA patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

High SII is correlated with worse outcome and can be a novel prognostic biomarker for IMA patients accepted radical surgery.

Evaluating the predictive significance of systemic immune-inflammatory index and tumor markers in lung cancer patients with bone metastases

Objective

This study aims to develop a predictive model for identifying lung cancer patients at elevated risk for bone metastases, utilizing the Unified Immunoinflammatory Index and various tumor markers. This model is expected to facilitate timely and effective therapeutic interventions, especially in the context of the growing significance of immunotherapy for lung cancer treatment.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 324 lung cancer patients treated between January 2019 and January 2021. After meeting the inclusion criteria, 241 patients were selected, with 56 exhibiting bone metastases. The cohort was divided into a training group (169 patients) and a validation group (72 patients) at a 7:3 ratio. Lasso regression was employed to identify critical variables, followed by logistic regression to construct a Nomogram model for predicting bone metastases. The model's validity was ascertained through internal and external evaluations using the Concordance Index (C-index) and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

The study identified several factors influencing bone metastasis in lung cancer, such as the Systemic Immune-Inflammatory Index (SII), Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE), Cyfra21-1, and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR). These factors were incorporated into the Nomogram model, demonstrating high validation accuracy with C-index scores of 0.936 for internal and 0.924 for external validation.

Conclusion

The research successfully developed an intuitive and accurate Nomogram prediction model utilizing clinical indicators to predict the risk of bone metastases in lung cancer patients. This tool can be instrumental in aiding clinicians in developing personalized treatment plans, thereby optimizing patient outcomes in lung cancer care.

First-line immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: how to select and where to go

INTRODUCTION

Immunotherapy (IO) has established a new milestone in lung cancer treatment. Several registrational studies have approved immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in different settings, including the metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As well known, responders are just a certain proportion of patients; therefore, their selection by using predictive factors has stood out as a crucial issue to address in tailoring a patient-centered care.

AREAS COVERED

In our review we propose a detailed yet handy cross section on ICIs as first-line treatment in metastatic NSCLC, regarding indications, histological, clinical, and blood-based biomarkers, other than their mechanisms of resistance and new immunological actionable targets. We performed a literature search through PubMed entering keywords complying with crucial features of immunotherapy.

EXPERT OPINION

IO represents the backbone of lung cancer treatment. Trials are currently testing novel immune blockade agents assessing combinatorial approaches with standard ICIs, or antibody drug conjugates (ADC), harboring immunological targets. Perfecting patients' selection is an ongoing challenge and a more and more urgent need in order to best predict responders who will consistently benefit from it.

Is Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index a Real Non-Invasive Biomarker to Predict Oncological Outcomes in Patients Eligible for Radical Cystectomy?

Background and Objectives: To assess the potential prognostic role of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in predicting oncological outcomes in a cohort of patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC). Materials and Methods: From 2016 to 2022, a retrospective monocentric study enrolled 193 patients who were divided into two groups based on their SII levels using the optimal cutoff determined by the Youden index. The SII was obtained from a preoperative blood test approximately one month before RC. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the capacity of SII to predict lymph node invasion (N), advanced pT stage (pT3/pT4), and locally advanced condition at the time of RC. Multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for preoperative and postoperative features were used to analyze the prognostic effect of SII on recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Results: The optimal cutoff value of the SII was 640.27. An elevated SII was seen in 113 (58.5%) patients. Using the multivariable preoperative logistic regression models, an elevated SII was correlated with nodal invasion (N; p = 0.03), advanced pT stage (p = 0.04), and locally advanced disease (p = 0.005), with enhancement of AUCs for predicting locally advanced disease (p = 0.04). In multivariable Cox regression models that considered preoperative clinicopathologic factors, an elevated SII was linked to poorer RFS (p = 0.005) and OS (p = 0.01). Moreover, on multivariable Cox regression postoperative models, a high SII was linked to RFS (p = 0.004) and to OS (p = 0.01). Conclusions: In this monocentric retrospective study, higher preoperative SII values predicted worse oncological outcomes in patients with bladder cancer (BCa) who underwent RC.

Prognostic value of pretreatment modified Glasgow Prognostic Score in small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The prognostic role of pretreatment modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients remains unclear now.

METHODS

The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CNKI electronic databases were searched up to December 14, 2022. The primary and secondary outcomes were overall survival and progression-free survival, respectively. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined to assess the association between pretreatment mGPS and survival of SCLC patients. Subgroup analysis based on the country, tumor stage, treatment and comparison of mGPS were further conducted and all statistical analyses were performed by STATA 15.0 software.

RESULTS

A total of ten retrospective studies involving 2831 SCLC patients were included. The pooled results demonstrated that elevated pretreatment mGPS was significantly related to poorer overall survival (HR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.36-2.63, P < .001) and progression-free survival (HR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.13-1.74, P = .002). Subgroup analysis stratified by the country, tumor stage, treatment and comparison of mGPS also showed similar results.

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment mGPS was significantly associated with prognosis in SCLC and patients with elevated mGPS experienced obviously worse survival. Thus, pretreatment mGPS could serve as a novel and reliable prognostic indicator in SCLC patients.

Characterization of Age-Associated, Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Systemic Immune-Inflammatory Index (SII) as Biomarkers of Inflammation in Geriatric Patients with Cancer Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Impact on Efficacy and Survival

BACKGROUND

Geriatric patients (≥80 years) are underrepresented in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICIs) clinical trials. However, their unique biology may affect their response to ICIs. There are currently no established biomarkers of the response to ICIs in adult patients with cancer that can help with patient selection.

METHODS

We built a multicenter, international retrospective study of 885 patients (<80 years: n = 417, 47.12%; ≥80 years: n = 468, 52.88%) with different tumor types treated with ICIs between 2011 and 2021 from 11 academic centers in the U.S. and Europe. The main outcome measures were objective response rates (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) stratified by age and circulating inflammatory levels (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII)).

RESULTS

Patients ≥80 years with low NLR (NLR-L) and SII (SII-L) had significantly higher ORR (vs. high NLR [NLR-H], p < 0.01 and SII-H, p < 0.05, respectively). At median follow-ups (13.03 months), and compared to SII-H, patients with SII-L had significantly longer median PFS and OS in patients <80 (p < 0.001), and ≥80 years (p < 0.001). SII-L was independently associated with longer PFS and OS (HR: 0.61 and 0.62, respectively, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Lower inflammation pre-ICI initiation may predict an improved response and survival in geriatric patients with cancer.

The effect of perioperative immunonutritional support on nutritional and inflammatory status in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery: a prospective, randomized controlled study

PURPOSE

Nutritional status is affected in patients who undergo lung cancer surgery (LCS). This study is aimed at investigating the effects of the use of immunonutritional support in the perioperative period on nutritional and inflammatory status in patients undergoing LCS.

METHODS

A single-center, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with seventy patients planning to have LCS and randomized into treatment (TG) and control groups (CG). Immunonutritional support was given orally twice a day for ten days before the operation and five days after the operation in the treatment group. The nutritional status of the patients was screened with the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA); the Prognostic Nutrition Index (PNI) and the Systemic Inflammation Index (SII) were calculated. The physical activity status was assessed with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS).

RESULTS

Post-op nutritional status of the TG patients was better than the CG group (p = 0.009). Post-operative PG-SGA score was higher than preoperative PG-SGA score in both groups (p < 0.001). In the post-operative period, nutritional status (in terms of PG-SGA score category) in the patients in the TG was better than the CG (p = 0.046). In both groups, post-op ECOG score was higher than the pre-op ECOG score (p < 0.001). Post-op physical performance status was found to be better in the TG compared to the CG (p = 0.001). PNI level decreased statistically and significantly in the post-op period compared to the pre-op period, SII levels increased.

CONCLUSION

Patients who will undergo LCS should be supported in terms of immunonutrition starting from the preoperative period.

Evaluation of Inflammation-Based Prognostic Risk Scores in Predicting in-Hospital Mortality Risk in COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study

Objective

Systemic inflammatory parameters are predictors of poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. This study evaluated whether the prognostic nutritional index, which was also related to nutrition risk and other inflammation-based prognostic scores, was predictive of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Materials and Methods

This was a retrospective cross-sectional single-center study. Based on the exclusion criteria, 151 patients over 18 years old diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized in the intensive care unit between March 2020 and December 2020 were eligible for this study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), Prognostic Index (PI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Systemic Inflammatory Index (SII).

Results

In the univariate analyses, age, diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, hypothyroidism, hospitalization stay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), D-dimer, ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, hemoglobin level, platelet count, urea, creatinine level, PNI, GPS were significantly associated with mortality. However, in the multivariable logistic regression analysis of the inflammation-based prognostic scores, only PNI was statistically significant in predicting in-hospital mortality (OR=0.83; [95% CI=0.71-0.97]; p =0.019).

Conclusion

PNI is a more useful and powerful tool among these inflammation-based prognostic risk scores in predicting in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Systemic Inflammation/Nutritional Status Scores Are Prognostic but Not Predictive in Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with First-Line Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Biomarkers of systemic inflammation/nutritional status have been associated with outcomes in advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, most of them were not tested in cohorts of patients treated with ICIs in combination with chemotherapy (CT) (ICI + CT) or with CT alone, making it impossible to discriminate a predictive from a prognostic effect. We conducted a single-center retrospective study to search for associations between various baseline biomarkers/scores that reflected the systemic inflammation/nutritional status (Lung Immune Prognostic Index, Modified Lung Immune Prognostic Index, Scottish Inflammatory Prognostic Score, Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index, EPSILoN, Prognostic Nutritional Index, Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index, Gustave Roussy Immune Score, Royal Marsden Hospital Prognostic Score, Lung Immuno-oncology Prognostic Score 3, Lung Immuno-oncology Prognostic Score 4, score published by Holtzman et al., and Glasgow Prognostic Score) and outcomes in metastatic NSCLC treated in a first-line setting either with ICI in monotherapy (cohort 1; n = 75), ICI + CT (cohort 2; n = 56), or CT alone (cohort 3; n = 221). In the three cohorts, the biomarkers/scores were moderately associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Their prognostic performance was relatively poor, with a maximum c-index of 0.66. None of them was specific to ICIs and could help to choose the best treatment modality. The systemic inflammation/nutritional status, associated with outcomes independently of the treatment, is therefore prognostic but not predictive in metastatic NSCLC.

Prognostic value of inflammatory and nutritional indexes among advanced NSCLC patients receiving PD-1 inhibitor therapy

Though immunotherapy has to some extent improved the prognosis of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only a few patients benefit. Furthermore, immunotherapy efficacy is affected by inflammatory and nutritional status of patients. To investigate whether dynamics of inflammatory and nutritional indexes were associated with prognosis, 223 patients were analysed retrospectively. The inflammatory indexes of interest were neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) while prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and the haemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet (HALP) score were considered as nutritional indexes. Patients were divided into high and low groups or into 'increase' and 'decrease' groups based on pre-treatment cut-off values and index dynamics after 6-week follow-up respectively. High pre-treatment PLR (OR = 2.612) and increase in NLR during follow-up (OR = 2.516) were significantly associated with lower objective response rates. Using multivariable analysis, high pre-treatment PLR (HR, 2.319) and increase in SII (HR, 1.731) predicted shorter progression-free survival, while high pre-treatment NLR (HR, 1.635), increase in NLR (HR, 1.663) and PLR (HR, 1.691) and decrease in PNI (HR, 0.611) predicted worse overall survival. The nomogram's C-index in inside validation was 0.718 (95% CI: 0.670-0.766). Our results indicated both nutritional and inflammatory indexes are associated with survival outcomes. Inflammatory indexes were additionally linked to treatment response. Index dynamics are better predictors than baseline values in predicting survival in advanced NSCLC patients receiving PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy as first-line.

Serum and peritoneal biomarkers for the early prediction of symptomatic anastomotic leakage in patients following laparoscopic low anterior resection: A single-center prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the common complications after rectal cancer surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the combination of biomarkers for the early prediction of symptomatic AL after surgery.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study evaluated the serum and peritoneal biomarkers of patients who underwent laparoscopic low anterior resection (Lap LAR) from November 1, 2021, to May 1, 2022. Multivariate-penalized logistic regression was performed to explore the independent biomarker with a P-value <.1, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of the independent biomarkers. A predictive model for symptomatic AL was built based on the independent biomarkers and was visualized with a nomogram. The calibration curve with the concordance index (c-index) was further applied to evaluate the efficacy of the predictive model.

RESULTS

A total of 157 patients were included in this study, and 7 (4.5%) were diagnosed with symptomatic AL. C-reactive protein/album ratio (CAR) on postoperative day 1 and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and peritoneal interleukin-6 (IL-6) on postoperative day 3 were proven to be independent predictors for the early prediction of symptomatic AL. The optimal cutoff values of CAR, SII, and peritoneal IL-6 were 1.04, 916.99, and 26430.09 pg/ml, respectively. Finally, the nomogram, including these predictors, was established, and the c-index of this nomogram was 0.812, indicating that the nomogram could be used for potential clinical reference.

CONCLUSION

The combination of CAR, SII, and peritoneal IL-6 might contribute to the early prediction of symptomatic AL in patients following Lap LAR. Given the limitations of this study and the emergence of other novel biomarkers, multicenter prospective studies are worthy of further exploration.

Pre-treatment systemic immune-inflammation index as a non-invasive biomarker for predicting clinical outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis of 20 studies

INTRODUCTION

To systematically assess the predictive significance of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

METHODS

Relevant studies published before November 2022 were retrieved from public databases. Hazard ratio (HR), standardised mean difference (SMD) and relative risk (RR) were calculated to estimate associations of SII with prognosis, treatment responses and clinicopathological features.

RESULTS

Twenty studies involving 6887 patients were eligible. The meta-analysis results revealed a high SII level was associated with worse overall survival (HR: 1.45, p < 0.001), progression-free survival (HR: 1.63, p = 0.001), cancer-specific survival (HR: 1.86, p < 0.001), lower overall response rate (RR: 0.62, p = 0.003), disease control rate (RR: 0.69, p = 0.002), larger tumour size (SMD: 0.39, p = 0.001), poorer IMDC risk (RR: 7.09, p < 0.001), higher Fuhrman grade (RR: 1.54, p = 0.004), tumour stage (RR: 1.67, p = 0.045), the presence of distant metastasis (brain: RR, 2.04, p = 0.001; bone: RR, 1.33, p = 0.024) and tumour necrosis (RR: 1.57, p = 0.031). Subgroup analysis showed SII predicted OS and PFS for non-Asian, but CSS for both Asian and non-Asian populations.

CONCLUSION

Pre-treatment SII may be a promising predictor of clinical outcomes for RCC patients.

Prognostic value of preoperative modified Glasgow prognostic score in surgical non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis

Background and purpose

The predictive role of modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) for long-term survival in several types of cancers has been well manifested. We supposed that preoperative mGPS might also be associated with long-term survival of operated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify the prognostic value of preoperative mGPS in surgical NSCLC patients.

Methods

The PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and CNKI databases were searched for relevant studies up to November 7, 2022. The primary and secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), respectively. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined.

Results

A total of 3,803 patients from 11 studies were enrolled and analyzed. The combined results demonstrated elevated preoperative mGPS was significantly related to poorer OS (HR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.83-2.44, P < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.42-2.03, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis for the OS further identified the predictive role of elevated preoperative mGPS for worse OS in NSCLC.

Conclusion

Preoperative mGPS was significantly associated with prognosis in NSCLC and patients with elevated preoperative mGPS experienced poorer long-term survival.

Single and combined use of the platelet-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation index in gastric cancer diagnosis

Introduction

The platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) are markers for systemic inflammatory responses and have been shown by numerous studies to correlate with the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). However, the diagnostic value of these three markers in GC is unclear, and no research has examined them in combination. In this study, we investigated the value of the PLR, NLR, and SII individually or in combination for GC diagnosis and elucidated the connection of these three markers with GC patients' clinicopathological features.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted on 125 patients diagnosed with GC and 125 healthy individuals, whose peripheral blood samples were obtained for analysis. The preoperative PLR, NLR, and SII values were subsequently calculated.

Results

The results suggest that the PLR, NLR, and SII values of the GC group were considerably higher than those of the healthy group (all P ≤ 0.001); moreover, all three parameters were notably higher in early GC patients (stage I/II) than in the healthy population. The diagnostic value of each index for GC was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and area under the curve (AUC) calculation. The diagnostic efficacy of the SII alone (AUC: 0.831; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.777-0.885) was expressively better than those of the NLR (AUC: 0.821; 95% CI: 0.769-0.873, P = 0.017) and PLR (AUC: 0.783; 95% CI: 0.726-0.840; P = 0.020). The AUC value of the combination of the PLR, NLR, and SII (AUC: 0.843; 95% CI: 0.791-0.885) was significantly higher than that of the combination of the SII and NLR (0.837, 95% CI: 0.785-0.880, P≤0.05), PLR (P = 0.020), NLR (P = 0.017), or SII alone (P ≤ 0.001). The optimal cut-off values were determined for the PLR, NLR, and SII using ROC analysis (SII: 438.7; NLR: 2.1; PLR: 139.5). Additionally, the PLR, NLR, and SII values were all meaningfully connected with the tumor size, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and serosa invasion (all P ≤ 0.05). Elevated levels of the NLR and SII were linked to distant metastasis (all P ≤ 0.001).

Discussion

These data suggest that the preoperative PLR, NLR, and SII could thus be utilized as diagnostic markers for GC or even early GC. Among these three indicators, the SII had the best diagnostic efficacy for GC, and the combination of the three could further improve diagnostic efficiency.

Emerging Biomarkers in Immune Oncology to Guide Lung Cancer Management

Over the last decade, the use of targeted therapies and immune therapies led to drastic changes in the management lung cancer and translated to improved survival outcomes. This growing arsenal of therapies available for the management of non-small cell lung cancer added more complexity to treatment decisions. The genomic profiling of tumors and the molecular characterization of the tumor microenvironment gradually became essential steps in exploring and identifying markers that can enhance patient selection to facilitate treatment personalization and narrow down therapy options. The advent of innovative diagnostic platforms, such as next-generation sequencing and plasma genotyping (also known as liquid biopsies), has aided in this quest. Currently, programmed cell death ligand 1 expression remains the most recognized and fully validated predictive biomarker of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Other markers such as tumor mutational burden, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, driver mutations, and other molecular elements of the tumor microenvironment bear the potential to be predictive tools; however, the majority are still investigational. In this review, we describe the advances noted thus far on currently validated as well as novel emerging biomarkers that have the potential to guide the use of immunotherapy agents in the management of non-small cell lung cancer.

Prognostic Value of Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) in Patients with Glioblastoma: A Comprehensive Study Based on Meta-Analysis and Retrospective Single-Center Analysis

Inflammation is related to cancer. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been linked to the prognosis of many types of cancer. The present study aimed to determine the prognostic value of the SII in glioblastoma (GBM) patients based on meta-analysis and single-center retrospective analysis. Relevant publications published before 1 October 2022 were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library databases, and Web of Science. Moreover, 208 GBM patients from Zhongnan Hospital were incorporated. Kaplan−Meier and Cox regression analyses determined the prognostic significance of inflammatory markers. By combining these indicators, we developed scoring systems. Nomograms were also built by incorporating independent variables. The accuracies of nomograms were evaluated by Harrell’s concordance index (c-index) and the calibration curve. According to meta-analysis, an elevated SII predicted the worst overall survival (OS) (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.87, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a higher SII (>510.8) (HR = 1.782, p = 0.007) also predicted a poorer outcome in a retrospective cohort. The scoring systems of SII-NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) showed the best predictive power for OS. The nomogram without MGMT (c-index = 0.843) exhibited a similar accuracy to that with MGMT (c-index = 0.848). A pre-treatment SII is independently associated with OS in GBM. A nomogram integrating the SII-NLR score may facilitate a comprehensive survival evaluation independent of molecular tests in GBM.

Biological Rationale for Peripheral Blood Cell-Derived Inflammatory Indices and Related Prognostic Scores in Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To describe the biological rationale of peripheral blood cells (PBC)-derived inflammatory indexes and assess the related prognostic scores for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

RECENT FINDINGS

Inflammatory indexes based on PBC may indicate a pro-inflammatory condition affecting the immune response to cancer. The lung immune prognostic index (LIPI), consisting of derived neutrophils-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lactate dehydrogenase, is a validated prognostic tool, especially for pretreated aNSCLC patients, where the combination of NLR and PD-L1 tumour expression might also be predictive of immunotherapy benefit. In untreated high-PD-L1 aNSCLC patients, the Lung-Immune-Prognostic score (LIPS), including NLR, ECOG PS and concomitant steroids, is prognostic, and its modified version might indicate patients with favourable outcomes despite an ECOG PS of 2. NLR times platelets (i.e., SII), included in the NHS-Lung score, might improve the prognostication for combined chemoimmunotherapy. PBC-derived inflammatory indexes and related scores represent accurate, reproducible and non-expensive prognostic tools with clinical and research utility.

Prognostic and Clinical Value of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index in Biliary Tract Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Previous studies that explored the prognostic and clinical value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in biliary tract cancer (BTC) had inconsistent results. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic and clinicopathological role of the SII in biliary tract cancer. Combined analysis demonstrated that high SII levels had worse overall survival (HR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.66-2.21, p < 0.001) than those with low SII levels. And an elevated SII was associated with lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.18-1.76; p < 0.001), TNM stage (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.05-2.13; p = 0.028), and vascular invasion (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.05-2.13; p = 0.028). Conversely, no significant association between a high SII and sex or tumor differentiation was found. Our findings demonstrate that high SII levels were correlated with unfavorable survival outcomes among patients with BTC and that they were also correlated with some higher malignancy features of BTC.

Prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis

The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a significant prognostic factor in some cancer types. However, the prognostic value of SII in patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of SII in patients with PC through a meta-analysis. This meta-analysis is aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of SII in patients with PC. Relevant articles were obtained through a systematic search. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the association between SII and survival outcomes, including overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Seven studies with 2132 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that elevated pretreatment SII was associated with poor OS (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.34-1.78, p < 0.001) and inferior CSS/DFS/PFS (HR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.27-1.80, p < 0.001). The prognostic role was reliable in a subgroup analysis conducted according to regions, disease status, survival analysis, and cutoff value. High SII was associated with poor OS in patients with PC. Therefore, SII is suggested to be a cost-effective biological marker for monitoring survival in patients with PC.

Dissecting Immunotherapy Strategies for Small Cell Lung Cancer: Antibodies, Ionizing Radiation and CAR-T

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive malignancy that accounts for about 14% of all lung cancers. Platinum-based chemotherapy has been the only available treatment for a long time, until the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) recently changed first-line standard of care and shed light on the pivotal role of the immune system. Despite improved survival in a subset of patients, a lot of them still do not benefit from first-line chemo-immunotherapy, and several studies are investigating whether different combination strategies (with both systemic and local treatments, such as radiotherapy) may improve patient outcomes. Moreover, research of biomarkers that may be used to predict patients' outcomes is ongoing. In addition to ICIs, immunotherapy offers other different strategies, including naked monoclonal antibodies targeting tumor associated antigens, conjugated antibody, bispecific antibodies and cellular therapies. In this review, we summarize the main evidence available about the use of immunotherapy in SCLC, the rationale behind combination strategies and the studies that are currently ongoing in this setting, in order to give the reader a clear and complete view of this rapidly expanding topic.

[Risk Factors and Pathogenic Mechanism for Secondary Primary Lung Cancer in Breast Cancer Patients: A Review]

Breast cancer and lung cancer are the two most common malignancies in China. With the continuous improvement of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment technology, the survival time of breast cancer patients has been prolonged, and the number of breast cancer patients with second primary lung cancer (SPLC) has increased. In addition, breast cancer is the most common primary cancer in female patients with SPLC, and SPLC is the main cause of death in this population. More and more physicians pay attention to this clinical phenomenon. This paper summarized the risk and risk factors of SPLC in breast cancer patients, and elaborated its pathogenesis, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical management of breast cancer patients and achieve accurate early intervention as soon as possible.
.

Prognostic significance of systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with bladder cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Systemic Immune-inflammation Index (SII) has been shown to correlate with the prognosis of numerous malignancies, but researchers have not yet reached an agreed conclusion on bladder cancer. To fill the blank, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic role of SII in the prognosis of bladder cancer.

METHODS

After analyzing relevant literature published in PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web Science up to April 30, 2022, we collected 83 articles to assess the significance of SII levels in assessing the prognosis of bladder cancer patients, and finally, 11 articles were included in the study. The correlation between pre-treatment Systemic Immunoinflammatory Index levels and survival in bladder cancer patients was assessed using risk ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Our meta-analysis comprised 11 papers altogether, and the findings revealed that higher levels of pretreatment SII were significantly associated with poorer overall survival/cancer-specific survival/progression-free survival/recurrence-free survival in bladder cancer patients (pooled HR = 1.80; 95% CI, 1.28-2.51; pooled HR = 1.68; 95% CI, 1.14-2.47; pooled HR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.25-2.42; pooled HR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.26-2.39). The above result was also confirmed in the subgroup analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher SII levels were significantly connected with overall survival/cancer-specific survival/progression-free survival/recurrence-free survival rates in bladder cancer patients, suggesting that SII is an important predictor of prognosis in bladder cancer patients.

The prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammation index in surgical esophageal cancer patients: An updated meta-analysis

Purpose

To identify the prognostic role of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in esophageal cancer patients receiving operation.

Methods

The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WanFang and CNKI electronic databases were searched up to February 17, 2022 for relevant studies. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined to assess the association between SII and prognosis in surgical esophageal cancer patients. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) and secondary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). All statistical analyses were conducted by STATA 15.0 software.

Results

A total of nine retrospective studies involving 3,565 participates were included. The pooled results indicated that high SII was significantly related with poor OS (HR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.23–2.02, P < 0.001). However, subgroup analysis based on pathological type demonstrated that high SII was an independent predictor for poor OS only in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients (HR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.34–2.21, P < 0.001). Besides, SII was also significantly associated with poor PFS (HR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.61–2.35, P < 0.001) and CSS (HR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.04–1.99, P = 0.027) in ESCC patients.

Conclusion

The SII could serve as an independent prognostic factor in surgical ESCC patients and higher SII was related with worse survival. However, more prospective high-quality studies are still needed to verify above findings.

The Diagnostic Value of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index for Venous Thromboembolism in Lung Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is considered a common complication in lung cancer patients. Despite its widespread use, the Khorana score performed moderately in predicting VTE risk. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic utility of the Systemic Immunoinflammatory Index (SII) and to create a novel nomogram for predicting VTE in patients with pulmonary carcinoma.

Materials and Methods

The data, like clinical features and laboratory indicators, of inpatients diagnosed with lung cancer from March 2019 to March 2020 were collected and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were performed to confirm the risk factors and then construct a nomogram model. The calibration curve and clinical decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the model's fitting performance. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of SII and the nomogram.

Results

This study enrolled 369 lung patients with a VTE morbidity rate of 23.33%. The patients with VTE had higher SII levels than the non-VTE group (1441.47 ± 146.28 vs. 626.76 ± 26.04, P < 0.001). SII is the stronger correlator for VTE among inflammatory markers, of which the optimal cut-off value was 851.51. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that the age, metastasis, antitumor treatment, hemoglobin<100 g/L, SII>851.51 × 10⁹/L, and D-dimer>2 folds were independent risk factors for lung cancer-related VTE, and a new prediction nomogram model was constructed based on them. ROC curve analysis showed the AUC of the new model and Khorana score were 0.708 (0.643-0.772) and 0.600 (0.531-0.699).

Conclusion

The SII was a simple and valuable biomarker for VTE, and the new nomogram model based on it can accurately forecast the occurrence of VTE. They can be utilized in clinical practice to identify those at high risk of VTE in lung cancer patients.

Visceral adiposity and systemic inflammation in the obesity paradox in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The obesity paradox is a topic of increasing interest in oncology and epidemiology research. Although this phenomenon has been observed in melanoma patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors, little is known about its mechanism. We aim to investigate the prognostic value of obesity and its association with adiposity and systemic inflammation.

METHODS

This retrospective study evaluates the data of patients who received pembrolizumab or nivolumab for unresectable or metastatic melanoma between June 2015 and April 2021. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) and visceral fat index (VFI) (cm²/m²) were calculated by dividing the cross-sectional areas of skeletal muscle and visceral fat by height squared. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) was defined as the total peripheral platelet count×neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to determine the association with overall survival.

RESULTS

We analyzed 266 patients with a median age of 60 years (IQR 51-69 years; 135 men and 131 women). The protective effect of obesity was independent of covariates (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.99; p=0.048), but disappeared after adjusting for VFI (HR 0.76; 95% CI 0.41 to 1.40; p=0.380) or SII (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.18; p=0.186). An increase of 10 cm²/m² in VFI was associated with longer overall survival after adjusting for covariates (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.79 to 0.99; p=0.029). The prognostic value of VFI remained and predicted favorable overall survival after additional adjustment for SMI (HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.76 to 0.98; p=0.025), but disappeared with adjustment for SII (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.82 to 1.03; p=0.142). An increase of 100×10⁹/L in SII was associated with poor overall survival when adjusted for covariates (HR 1.08; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.11; p<0.001) or when additionally adjusted for VFI (HR 1.07; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.10; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Visceral adiposity and systemic inflammation are significant prognostic factors in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors. The prognostic impact of visceral adiposity is dependent on systemic inflammation status.

Efficacy outcomes and prognostic factors from real-world patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy: The Spinnaker retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Efficacy outcomes and prognostic factors of real-world patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy are still limited.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In the retrospective Spinnaker study, data was collected from patients in six United Kingdom and one Swiss oncology centres with first-line pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy. Efficacy outcomes and potential prognostic factors were estimated aiming at developing a prognostic model.

RESULTS

Three-hundred-eight patients were included, 32% ≥ 70 years, with ≥ 3 metastatic sites in 33%, brain or liver metastases in 10% and 12%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 18.0 months (mo.) (range, 15.9-20.1), median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 12.7 mo. (range, 10.2-15.2), and 8.0 mo. (range, 7.1-8.8), respectively. The neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) (i.e., NLR × platelet count) were both significantly higher in ECOG PS 1 (p = 0.0147 and p = 0.0018, respectively), underweight or normal body mass index (p = 0.0456 and p = 0.0062, respectively), ≥3 metastatic sites (p = 0.0069 and p = 0.112), pretreatment steroids (p = 0.0019 and p = 0.0017). By MVA, the number of metastatic sites ≥ 3 (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002), squamous histology (p = 0.033 and p = 0.013) and SII ≥ 1444 (p = 0.031 and p = 0.009, respectively) were associated with both worse OS and PFS and led to a highly discriminating three-class risk prognostic model.

CONCLUSION

Real-world PFS with chemoimmunotherapy in aNSCLC patients is similar to that reported in clinical trials. A high number of metastatic sites, squamous histology and high SII are adverse prognostic factors that might contribute to a clinically useful prognostic model.

Systemic Immun e–Inflammation Index as a Predictor for Head and Neck Cancer Prognosis: A Meta-Analysis

Background

Studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the prognostic value of the systemic immune–inflammation index (SII) in head and neck cancer (HNC). Thus, the present meta-analysis assessed the literature on the prognostic value of SII in those with HNC.

Methods

The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases were searched, and study methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa quality assessment scale. To determine the association of the SII with survival outcomes, pooled hazard ratios (HRs) as well as the associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used. To assess the associations of the SII with clinicopathological features, the odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% CIs were considered. Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s linear regression test were used to assess publication bias.

Results

A total of 12 studies that together enrolled 4369 patients with HNC were analyzed. In the pooled results, a high pretreatment SII was correlated with poorer overall survival (HR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.62–2.70, p < 0.001), disease-free survival (HR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.99−3.89, p < 0.001), and progression-free survival (HR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.30−2.48, p < 0.001). A stratified analysis indicated that SII for overall survival was applicable regardless of tumor site, treatment modality, overall stage, sample size, SII cutoff, and method for determining the SII cutoff. Furthermore, a high SII was correlated with a more advanced T classification (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.09–1.18, p < 0.001) and nodal metastasis (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.18–2.05, p = 0.002) in patients with HNC.

Conclusions

An elevated pretreatment SII predicts more advanced tumor and nodal status and poorer survival outcomes in cases of HNC. Because the measurement of SII is convenient and its use is cost-effective, we suggest that it can be applied by clinicians in the management of HNC.

The Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value predicts the survival of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer treated with first-line ALK inhibitor

BACKGROUND

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have significantly improved the clinical outcomes of patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, reliable biomarkers to predict the prognostic role of this treatment are lacking. The Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value (PIV) has recently been demonstrated as a novel comprehensive biomarker to predict survival of patients with solid tumors. Our study aimed to evaluate the prognostic power of PIV in this group of patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

94 patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC who received first-line ALK inhibitors were enrolled in this study. PIV was calculated as the product of peripheral blood neutrophil, monocyte, and platelet counts divided by lymphocyte count. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox hazard regression models were used for survival analyses.

RESULTS

The 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 63.5%, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 55.1%. Patients with higher PIV, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII) had worse PFS in univariate analysis, but only the PIV (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.79-4.70, p < 0.001) was an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. Similarly, patients with higher PIV, NLR, PLR, and SII had a worse OS in the univariate analysis, but only the PIV (HR = 4.70, 95% CI: 2.00-11.02, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with worse OS in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

PIV is a comprehensive and convenient predictor of both PFS and OS in patients with ALK-positive advanced NSCLC who received first-line ALK TKIs. Prospective clinical trials are required to validate the value of this new parameter.

Preoperative Systemic Immune–Inflammation Index (SII) as a Superior Predictor of Long-Term Survival Outcome in Patients With Stage I–II Gastric Cancer After Radical Surgery

Background

Systemic immune–inflammation index (SII), calculated by immunoinflammatory cell counts of peripheral blood, is considered a predictor of survival outcome in several solid tumors, including gastric cancer (GC). However, there is no study focusing on the prognostic value of SII in the early stage of GC. This study aims to compare prognostic prediction capabilities of several inflammatory indices, nutritional indices, and tumor markers to further verify the superior prognostic value of SII in stage I–II GC patients after surgery.

Methods

In this study, 548 patients (358 in the training group and 190 in the validation group) with stage I–II GC after radical surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The peripheral blood indices of interest were SII, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI), systemic inflammation score (SIS), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), body mass index (BMI), albumin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate-associated antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (t-ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to determine the optimal cutoff value and prognostic ability of each parameter. Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariable Cox regression models were used to evaluate independent prognostic factors. The nomogram was constructed based on the result of bidirectional stepwise regression model.

Results

The optimal cutoff value of SII was 508.3. The 5-year overall survival rate of the low SII (SII-L) group was significantly higher than that of the high SII (SII-H) group (92% vs. 80%, P < 0.001), especially in the elderly and stage II patients (91% vs. 73%, P = 0.001; 86% vs. 67%, P = 0.003, respectively). The significant prognostic values of SII were consistent in most subgroups. In multivariate analysis, SII and CA19-9 were the only two independent prognostic hematology indices. The AUC value of SII (0.624) was greater than that of CA19-9 (0.528) and other prognostic parameters. Adding SII to the conventional model improved the predictive ability of 5-year overall survival as shown by the significantly increased net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) (P = 0.033, P = 0.053, respectively) and modestly improved consistency index (C-index) (increased by 1.6%). External validation of SII-based nomogram demonstrated favorable predictive performance and discrimination. In addition, interactive web dynamic nomogram was published to facilitate clinical use.

Conclusion

SII is a simple but powerful index with a high predictive value to predict survival outcome in patients with stage I–II GC after radical operation. The SII-based nomogram can provide intuitive and accurate prognosis prediction of individual patients.

Systemic Inflammation Index and Tumor Glycolytic Heterogeneity Help Risk Stratify Patients with Advanced Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy

Simple Summary

Patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated lung adenocarcinoma have been known to respond to first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. However, a subgroup of patients are non-responsive to the treatment, with poor survival outcomes, and those who are initially responsive may still experience resistance. A reliable prognostic tool may provide a valuable direction for tailoring individual treatment strategies in this clinical setting. With this aim, the present study explores the prognostic power of the combination of the systemic inflammation index (portrayed by hematological markers) and tumor glycolytic heterogeneity (characterized by ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography images). The model integrating these two biomarkers could be used to improve risk stratification, and the subsequent personalized management strategy in patients with advanced EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma.

Abstract

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the first-line treatment for patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. Over half of patients failed to achieve prolonged survival benefits from TKI therapy. Awareness of a reliable prognostic tool may provide a valuable direction for tailoring individual treatments. We explored the prognostic power of the combination of systemic inflammation markers and tumor glycolytic heterogeneity to stratify patients in this clinical setting. One hundred and five patients with advanced EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma treated with TKIs were retrospectively analyzed. Hematological variables as inflammation-induced biomarkers were collected, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic inflammation index (SII). First-order entropy, as a marker of heterogeneity within the primary lung tumor, was obtained by analyzing ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography images. In a univariate Cox regression analysis, sex, smoking status, NLR, LMR, PLR, SII, and entropy were associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). After adjusting for confounders in the multivariate analysis, smoking status, SII, and entropy, remained independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS. Integrating SII and entropy with smoking status represented a valuable prognostic scoring tool for improving the risk stratification of patients. The integrative model achieved a Harrell’s C-index of 0.687 and 0.721 in predicting PFS and OS, respectively, outperforming the traditional TNM staging system (0.527 for PFS and 0.539 for OS, both p < 0.001). This risk-scoring model may be clinically helpful in tailoring treatment strategies for patients with advanced EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma.

Association between lead and cadmium co-exposure and systemic immune inflammation in residents living near a mining and smelting area in NW China

Exposure to both cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) can promote systemic inflammation. However, the effects of combined exposure to environmental levels of Cd and Pb on systemic immune inflammation have not been fully clarified. A total of 486 subjects (313 women and 173 men) living in either a control area or heavy metal-polluted area were included. Blood Cd and Pb and immune inflammation biomarkers were determined, including the eosinophil-lymphocyte ratio (ELR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII); moreover, the associations between exposure markers and systemic inflammation markers were analysed. The exposure levels in the polluted area were significantly higher than those in the control area. The NLR, PLR, and SII of subjects in the polluted area were higher and the LMR was lower than in the control area. Blood Pb and Cd levels are associated with elevated or decreased immune inflammation biomarkers in subjects from the exposed and control areas. Furthermore, co-exposure to both Cd and Pb was divided into high, middle, and low exposure groups. The subjects in the high co-exposure group displayed higher levels of ELR, NLR, and SII compared with the middle and low co-exposure group, and LMR levels displayed the opposite trend. Our data demonstrate that Cd and Pb co-exposure is associated with systemic immune inflammation, and the immune inflammatory response is aggravated with an increased co-exposure to Cd and Pb.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index Is a Prognostic Factor for Breast Cancer Patients After Curative Resection

Background

The preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is correlated with prognosis in several malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognosis value of SII in patients with resected breast cancer.

Materials and Methods

A total of 784 breast cancer patients who underwent surgical resection were consecutively investigated. The optimal cutoff value of SII was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The collection of SII with clinicopathological characteristic and prognosis was further evaluated.

Results

The optimal cutoff value for SII in the prediction of survival was 514 according to ROC curve analysis. A high SII was significantly correlated with younger age (P = 0.037), PR status (P < 0.001), and HER2 status (P = 0.035). Univariate analysis revealed that SII (P < 0.001), T-stage (P < 0.001), lymph node involvement post-surgery (P = 0.024), and histological grade (P < 0.001) were significantly related to DFS, and SII (P < 0.001), T-stage (P = 0.003), lymph node involvement post-surgery (P = 0.006), and histological grade (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with OS. In multivariate analysis, a high SII was an independent worse prognostic factor for DFS (HR, 4.530; 95% CI, 3.279-6.258; P < 0.001) and OS (HR, 3.825; 95% CI, 2.594-5.640; P < 0.001) in all the enrolled patients. Furthermore, subgroup analysis of molecular subtype revealed that SII was significantly associated with prognosis in all subtypes.

Conclusion

Preoperative SII is a simple and useful prognostic factor for predicting long-term outcomes for breast cancer patients undergoing surgery.

Systemic immune-inflammation index is a promising non-invasive biomarker for predicting the survival of urinary system cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been reported in numerous studies to effectively predict the survival outcomes of urinary system cancers; however no agreement has been reached. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the prognostic significance of pre-treatment SII in tumours of the urinary system.

METHODS

Relevant published articles were selected from Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to 30 August 2020. The hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to estimate the associations of pre-treatment SII with overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) in urinary system cancers.

RESULTS

13 papers were included in our meta-analysis. From the combined data, we found that a high pre-treatment SII indicated a markedly worse OS (HR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.75-2.23; p < .001), PFS (HR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.32-3.26; p = .002), and CSS (HR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.73-3.35, p < .001). Additionally, patients with an elevated SII value might have undesirable pathological characteristics, including a large tumour size, a poor differentiation grade, and an advanced tumour stage (all p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-treatment SII could be used as a non-invasive and promising biomarker to indicate the prognosis of urinary system cancer patients.KEY MESSAGES:This meta-analysis evaluates the predictive value of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) for patients with urinary system cancer.A high pre-treatment SII indicates a poor prognosis.SII can serve as a promising non-invasive biomarker to help clinicians assess the prognosis and develop treatment strategies for urinary system cancer patients.

A narrative review of prognosis prediction models for non-small cell lung cancer: what kind of predictors should be selected and how to improve models?

Objective

To discover potential predictors and explore how to build better models by summarizing the existing prognostic prediction models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Background

Research on clinical prediction models of NSCLC has experienced explosive growth in recent years. As more predictors of prognosis are discovered, the choice of predictors to build models is particularly important, and in the background of more applications of next-generation sequencing technology, gene-related predictors are widely used. As it is more convenient to obtain samples and follow-up data, the prognostic model is preferred by researchers.

Methods

PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched using the items “NSCLC”, “prognostic model”, “prognosis prediction”, and “survival prediction” from 1 January 1980 to 5 May 2021. Reference lists from articles were reviewed and relevant articles were identified.

Conclusions

The performance of gene-related models has not obviously improved. Relative to the innovation and diversity of predictors, it is more important to establish a highly stable model that is convenient for clinical application. Most of the prevalent models are highly biased and referring to PROBAST at the beginning of the study may be able to significantly control the bias. Existing models should be validated in a large external dataset to make a meaningful comparison.

The Value of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index in Predicting Survival Outcomes in Patients with Brain Metastases of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Stereotactic Radiotherapy

Background

As a parameter integrating platelet (P), neutrophil (N), and lymphocyte (L) levels, the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been used as a prognostic marker for patient survival in various types of solid malignant tumors. However, there is no in-depth study in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases after stereotactic radiotherapy. Therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis to determine the clinical and prognostic value of the SII in NSCLC patients with brain metastases who underwent stereotactic radiotherapy.

Materials and Methods

We enrolled 124 NSCLC patients with brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiotherapy in our hospital between May 2015 and June 2018. We obtained all baseline blood samples within one week prior to stereotactic radiotherapy. The SII was calculated by the following formula: neutrophil counts × platelet counts/lymphocyte counts. The optimal cutoff value of the SII for predicting prognosis was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with the maximum log-rank values. The discriminative ability of predicting prognosis was calculated and compared using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were combined to evaluate the prognostic impact of the blood index on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Only those parameters that proved to be associated with statistically significant differences in clinical outcomes were compared in multivariate analysis using a multiple Cox proportional hazard regression model to identify independent prognostic factors.

Results

Of the total enrolled patients, 53.2% and 46.8% have high SII and low SII, respectively. In this study, Kaplan–Meier curve analysis revealed that the median PFS was 9 months (range: 2–22 months) and the median OS was 18 months (range: 4–37 months). Applying an optimal cutoff of 480 (SII), the median PFS was better in the low SII group patients (11.5 vs. 9 months), and the median OS was significantly longer in the low SII group patients (20 vs. 18 months). A SII > 480 was significantly associated with worse OS (HR: 2.196; 95% CI 1.259–3.832; P = 0.006) and PFS (HR: 2.471; 95% CI 1.488–4.104; P < 0.001) according to univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, only age (HR: 2.159; 95% CI 1.205–3.869; P = 0.010), KPS (HR: 1.887; 95% CI 1.114–3.198; P = 0.018), and SII (HR: 1.938; 95% CI 1.046–3.589; P = 0.035) were independently correlated with OS, and SII (HR: 2.224; 95% CI 1.298–3.810; P = 0.004) was an independent prognostic predictor of PFS, whereas we found that other inflammation-based indices lost their independent value.

Conclusions

The SII, which is an integrated blood parameter based on platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, may be an independent prognostic indicator and may be useful for the identification of NSCLC patients with brain metastases after stereotactic radiotherapy at high risk for recurrence.

Prognostic impact of immune inflammation biomarkers in predicting survival and radiosensitivity in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the prognostic impact of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), derived NLR (dNLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in predicting outcomes for patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The secondary endpoint was to evaluate the radiosensitivity in terms of response rate.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed locally advanced NSCLC patients were enrolled. Immune inflammation biomarkers were calculated from baseline blood samples. Patients were stratified in two groups based on optimal cut-off values for each biomarker. The associations between biomarkers and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), and also response to radiotherapy were analysed.

RESULTS

A total of 392 patients were included. Five-year OS, PFS and LRRFS rates were 14.6%, 12.1%, and 13.4% respectively. Optimal cut-off values for NLR, PLR, dNLR and SII were 3.07, 166, 2.02 and 817 respectively. Low NLR (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.34-2.24, P < 0.001), low PLR (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.06-1.76, P = 0.013), low dNLR (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.29-2.13, P < 0.001) and low SII (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.18-2.04, P < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Low NLR, PLR, dNLR and SII were also significant prognostic factors for PFS and LRRFS. Low NLR, low dNLR and low SII groups had better radiosensitivity than compared with high NLR, high dNLR and high SII groups (P = 0.001, P = 0.001 and P = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

NLR, PLR, dNLR and SII were independently associated with improved OS, PFS and LRRFS. Low NLR, dNLR and SII groups had better radiosensitivity. Immune inflammation biomarkers are promising prognostic predictors which can be obtained easily and inexpensively.

Prognostic Value of Pretreatment Glasgow Prognostic Score/Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score in Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

To explore prognostic value of pretreatment Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) in ovarian cancer patients.

The PubMed, EMBASE (via OVID), and Web of Science databases were comprehensively searched for eligible studies. The hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined to evaluate the association of pretreatment GPS/mGPS with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of ovarian cancer patients. STATA 12.0 version software was applied for statistical analysis.

A total of eight retrospective studies involving 2260 were included into this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that patients with elevated pretreatment GPS or mGPS had poorer OS (HR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.38-1.91, P＜.001) and PFS (HR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02-1.93, P = .039) than patients with pretreatment GPS or mGPS 0. Subgroup analysis based on the type of score (GPS or mGPS) and tumor stage for OS were also performed and the results were consistent with above findings.

Pretreatment GPS/mGPS might serve as promising prognostic indexes for ovarian cancer patients. More prospective studies with high-quality are needed to verify our findings.

Systemic immune-inflammation index is a stage-dependent prognostic factor in patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Immune function is a key component affecting tumor progression in patients with cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the differences of its prognostic value in patients with distinct characteristics.

Methods

Patients with completely resected NSCLC were reviewed according to the eighth TNM classification of lung cancer. Patients were further categorized into the low- and high-SII groups. Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed to identify the independent prognostic factors.

Results

A total of 3984 patients with NSCLC were enrolled in this study. Kaplan-Meier analyses demonstrated that high SII was associated with worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P<0.001). Cox proportional hazard analyses revealed that SII was an independent risk factor for worse RFS (P=0.038) and OS (P=0.043). Further analyses demonstrated that the prognostic value of SII was observed only in patients with stage I disease (P<0.001), solid nodules (P=0.002), or adenocarcinoma (P<0.001). Sensitivity analyses using multiple imputation and competing risk analyses also confirmed similar results.

Conclusions

SII was associated with worse survival independently, and its prognostic role was exhibited solely in NSCLC patients with stage I disease, solid nodules, and adenocarcinoma. This study helped us specify the target population for clinical use of SII.