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

Inflammation indices in association with periodontitis and cancer

Inflammation is a complex physiological process that plays a pivotal role in many if not all pathological conditions, including infectious as well as inflammatory diseases, like periodontitis and autoimmune disorders. Inflammatory response to periodontal biofilms and tissue destruction in periodontitis is associated with the release of inflammatory mediators. Chronic inflammation can promote the development of cancer. Persistence of inflammatory mediators plays a crucial role in this process. Quantification and monitoring of the severity of inflammation in relation to cancer is essential. Periodontitis is mainly quantified based on the severity and extent of attachment loss and/or pocket probing depth, in addition with bleeding on probing. In recent years, studies started to investigate inflammation indices in association with periodontal diseases. To date, only few reviews have been published focusing on the relationship between blood cell count, inflammation indices, and periodontitis. This review presents a comprehensive overview of different systemic inflammation indices, their methods of measurement, and the clinical applications in relation to periodontitis and cancer. This review outlines the physiological basis of inflammation and the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of the parameters described. Key inflammation indices are commonly utilized in periodontology such as the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. Inflammation indices like the platelet to lymphocyte ratio, platelet distribution width, plateletcrit, red blood cell distribution width, lymphocyte to monocyte ratio, delta neutrophil index, and the systemic immune inflammation index are also used in hospital settings and will be discussed. The clinical roles and limitations, relationship to systemic diseases as well as their association to periodontitis and treatment response are described.

Anxiety symptoms predict head and neck cancer survival: Exploring mediation by systemic inflammation and tumor response to treatment

BACKGROUND

Head and neck cancers (HNC) are associated with high rates of anxiety. Anxiety has been linked to biological pathways implicated in cancer progression, though little is known about its effects on overall survival. We hypothesized that higher pretreatment anxiety levels in patients with HNC would predict poorer 2-year overall survival and expected this relationship to be mediated by both systemic inflammation and tumor response to treatment.

METHODS

Patients (N = 394) reported anxiety symptomatology via the GAD-7 at treatment planning. Pre-treatment hematology workup provided an index of systemic inflammation (SII; N = 292). Clinical data review yielded tumor response and overall survival. Logistic and multiple regressions and Cox proportional hazard models tested hypothesized relationships.

RESULTS

Higher pretreatment anxiety levels were significantly associated with poorer 2-year survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.039; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.014-1.066, p = 0.002). The association between anxiety and SII was not significant, though anxiety was associated with poorer tumor response (odds ratio [OR], 1.033; 95% CI, 1.001-1.066, p = 0.043). Tumor response fully mediated the relationship between anxiety symptoms and 2-year survival (HR, 9.290, 95% CI, 6.152-14.031, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety was associated with overall survival. Tumor response, but not systemic inflammation, emerged as a potential biological pathway mediating this effect. Screening for anxiety may be beneficial to help prospectively address these concerns and ameliorate potentially detrimental impact on clinically meaningful cancer outcomes.

Depressive Symptoms, Systemic Inflammation, and Survival Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Importance

Patients with head and neck cancer experience high rates of depression. Depression and systemic inflammation have been found to be associated in numerous cancer types, often independently from disease status. Depression-related inflammation may elevate the risks for poor tumor response to treatment and early mortality, and comprises a mechanism by which depression is associated with survival in head and neck cancer.

Objective

To assess mediation pathways incorporating pretreatment depressive symptoms, pretreatment inflammation, and tumor response posttreatment on overall survival among patients with head and neck cancer.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a prospective observational cohort study of patients with head and neck cancer treated in a single multidisciplinary head and neck cancer clinic from May 10, 2013, to December 30, 2019, and followed up for 2 years. Data analysis was performed from June 29, 2022, to June 23, 2023.

Exposures

Patient-reported depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item (PHQ-9) at treatment planning; pretreatment hematology workup for systemic inflammation index (SII) score; and clinical data review for tumor response (complete vs incomplete) and overall survival.

Main Outcomes

Two-year overall survival.

Results

The total study cohort included 394 patients (mean [SD] age, 62.5 [11.5] years; 277 [70.3%] males) with head and neck cancer. Among 285 patients (72.3%) who scored below the clinical cutoff for depression on the PHQ-9, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with inflammation (partial r, 0.168; 95% CI, 0.007-0.038). In addition, both depression and inflammation were associated with early mortality (PHQ-9: hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07; SII: HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.08-1.71). The depression-survival association was fully mediated by inflammation (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.00-1.64). Depressive symptoms were also associated with poorer tumor response (odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08), and the depression-survival association was partially mediated by tumor response (HR, 9.44; 95% CI, 6.23-14.32). Systemic inflammation was not associated with tumor response.

Conclusions

In this cohort study, systemic inflammation emerged as a novel candidate mechanism of the association of depression with mortality. Tumor response partially mediated effects of depression on mortality, replicating prior work. Thus, depression stands out as a highly feasible target for renewed clinical attention. Even mild symptoms of depression during the treatment-planning phase may be associated with higher systemic inflammation in addition to poorer tumor response to treatment and survival outcomes; therefore, depression should be clinically addressed.

Prognostic value of preoperative inflammatory ratios in early glottic cancer treated with transoral laser surgery

BACKGROUND

There is growing evidence regarding the prognostic utility of ratios such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SIII) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, most studies to date include heterogeneous series with different treatments or tumor subsites.

METHODS

We collected data from 201 patients with stage I-II glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated with transoral laser surgery. NLR, PLR, and SIII were calculated from preoperative cell blood count, cut-off points were obtained by ROC curve analysis, and survival rates were calculated.

RESULTS

High NLR (p = 0.012) and SIII (p = 0.037), but not PLR (p = 0.48), were associated with worse disease-specific survival (DSS). A similar trend was observed with overall survival (OS), although it did not reach statistical significance. On multivariable analyses, both high NLR (HR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.5-9.9, p = 0.006) and high SIII (HR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.1-6.9, p = 0.03) were significantly associated with shortened DSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative NLR and SIII emerge as independent prognostic biomarkers for early-stage surgically treated glottic tumors and could guide individualized follow-up.

Impact of Sarcopenia on Survival of Patients With Malignant Salivary Glands Tumors

OBJECTIVE

Malignant salivary glands tumors (MSGTs) are a quite rare and heterogeneous group of tumors. Management of these lesions remains controversial and challenging. Thus, finding new prognostic factors that can help to guide the decision-making process, appears to be paramount. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic performance of preoperative sarcopenia to stratify MSGTs patients at high risk of disease progression.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

A single-institution analysis (Maxillo-facial Surgery Unit, University of Naples Federico II).

METHODS

The study consists of a retrospective analysis of 74 patients surgically treated for MSGTs. For all patients, the skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated and sarcopenia was defined as SMI < 41 in females and <43 in males. The correlation between sarcopenia and tumor variables was analyzed. The prognostic performance of sarcopenia was evaluated through survival Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

Sarcopenia resulted statistically related to age (P < .001), tumor size (P < .001), lymph node metastases (P < .001), and American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor, node, metastasis stage (P < .001). Kaplan-Meier survival curves show that 47.3% of sarcopenic patients died before their final follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Data obtained from our study seem to confirm the correlation between sarcopenia and other high-risk features. The early detection of sarcopenia in patients with negative prognostic factors could be used to implement the support therapeutic strategies aimed at restore the clinical conditions of the patients. Sarcopenia may be routinely investigated before surgery to suggest the implementation of precautionary therapeutic strategies to improve the standard treatment response, reducing possible complications.

A Novel Prognostic Model Using Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value and Programmed Death Ligand 1 in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis

BACKGROUND

Little is known regarding the prognostication of the Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value (PIV) in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC).

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of PIV in patients with R/M HNSCC receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients who were diagnosed to have R/M HNSCC and treated with ICI were reviewed retrospectively. The cutoff value of PIV was set at the median. Patients were stratified into high PIV and low PIV. Kaplan-Meier curves were estimated for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

A total of 192 patients were included in our study for oncologic outcomes evaluation. For the total population, the median PFS was 5.5 months and OS was 18.2 months. After stratification by PIV, median PFS was 11.7 months in the low PIV and 2.8 months in the high PIV groups (p < 0.001). The median OS was 21.8 months in the low PIV and 11.5 months in the high PIV groups (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PIV and PD-L1 were independent predictors associated with survival. A prognostic model using both PIV and PD-L1 was constructed. The median PFS was 12.2, 6.4, and 3.0 months for patients with risk scores of 0, 1, and 2, respectively (p < 0.001). The median OS was 23.7, 18.1, and 11.4 months for patients with risk scores of 0, 1, and 2, respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

PIV is a prognostic biomarker in patients with R/M HNSCC treated with ICI. A prognostic model using PIV and PD-L1 could provide outcome prediction and risk stratification.

Unravelling heterogeneous effects of cancer‑associated fibroblasts on poor prognosis markers in breast cancer EM‑G3 cell line: In vitro‑targeted treatment (anti‑IL-6, anti‑VEGF-A, anti‑MFGE8) based on transcriptomic profiling

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Although dramatically increased survival rates of early diagnosed cases have been observed, late diagnosed patients and metastatic cancer may still be considered fatal. The present study's main focus was on cancer‑associated fibroblasts (CAFs) which is an active component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) regulating the breast cancer ecosystem. Transcriptomic profiling and analysis of CAFs isolated from breast cancer skin metastasis, cutaneous basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma unravelled major gene candidates such as IL6, VEGFA and MFGE8 that induced co‑expression of keratins‑8/‑14 in the EM‑G3 cell line derived from infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma. Western blot analysis of selected keratins (keratin‑8, ‑14, ‑18, ‑19) and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition‑associated markers (SLUG, SNAIL, ZEB1, E‑/N‑cadherin, vimentin) revealed specific responses pointing to certain heterogeneity of the studied CAF populations. Experimental in vitro treatment using neutralizing antibodies against IL-6, VEGF‑A and MFGE8 attenuated the modulatory effect of CAFs on EM‑G3 cells. The present study provided novel data in characterizing and understanding the interactions between CAFs and EM‑G3 cells in vitro. CAFs of different origins support the pro‑inflammatory microenvironment and influence the biology of breast cancer cells. This observation potentially holds significant interest for the development of novel, clinically relevant approaches targeting the TME in breast cancer. Furthermore, its implications extend beyond breast cancer and have the potential to impact a wide range of other cancer types.

A predictive survival model for patients with stage IV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemoradiation

PURPOSE

To evaluate the pre-treatment and post-treatment clinical factors associated with rate of survival at 1, 3, and 5 years in stage IV oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation with/without neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study involved 128 Stage IV oropharyngeal cancer patients that were treated at our tertiary referral center between 2008 and 2020. The pre-treatment and post-treatment clinical parameters including nutritional status and inflammatory markers were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

The 5-year overall survival rate for all patients was 36.72%. The disease-specific survival (DSS) at 1-year and 3-year were 80% and 63%, whereas the disease-free survival (DFS) at 1-year and 3-year were 49% and 40%, respectively. In multivariate analyses, pretreatment hemoglobin (Hb) < 12 g/dL (hazard ratio [HR] 2.551, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.366-4.762, p = 0.003), pretreatment systemic immune inflammation (SII) ≥ 1751 (HR 2.173, 95% CI 1.015-4.652, p = 0.046), and posttreatment systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) ≥ 261 (HR 2.074, 95% CI 1.045-4.115, p = 0.037) were independent indicators for worsened DSS. Pretreatment Hb < 12 g/dl (HR 1.692, 95% CI 1.019-2.809, p = 0.032), pretreatment SII ≥ 1751 (HR 1.968, 95% CI 1.061-3.650, p = 0.032), and posttreatment SII ≥ 1690 (HR 1.922, 95% CI 1.105-3.345, p = 0.021) were independent indicators for worsened DFS. A nomogram was developed using pretreatment Hb, pretreatment SII, and posttreatment SIRI to forecast DSS.

CONCLUSIONS

The pretreatment Hb, pretreatment SII, posttreatment SII, and posttreatment SIRI are associated with survival in patients with stage IV oropharyngeal cancers. The developed nomogram aids in survival prediction and treatment adjustment.

The Predictive Role of Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients With Larynx Cancer Undergoing Definitive Radiotherapy

Inflammation plays an important role in the process of cancer development. The number of studies evaluating the ability of inflammatory biomarkers to predict survival has increased in recent years. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the predictive role of inflammatory biomarkers in patients with larynx cancer undergoing definitive radiotherapy. A total of 101 patients who underwent definitive radiotherapy for larynx cancer at our center were retrospectively examined. Blood samples were taken from the patients before radiotherapy to obtain biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), pan-immune inflammatory value (PIV), hemo-eosinophil inflammation index (HEI), albumin, and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The study examined the predictive value of parameters for progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and overall survival (OS) using both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. In the univariate analysis, the biomarkers that predicted PFS were SII, PIV, CRP, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS). According to the multivariate analysis, only CRP was found to be a significant predictor of PFS. In the univariate analysis, the following biomarkers were found to predict OS: NLR, PLR, MLR, SII, PIV, CRP, HEI, stage, and ECOG PS. In the multivariate analysis, NLR and ECOG PS were found to be predictors of OS. A significant difference was found in MLR, PIV, and CRP values based on the presence of lymphatic metastasis. The current study is the first to comprehensively examine the relationship between larynx cancer and several inflammatory biomarkers. Many of these biomarkers have been shown to predict both PFS and OS in patients with larynx cancer undergoing definitive radiotherapy. It has been shown that PIV and CRP may predict the presence of lymphatic metastases in addition to PFS and OS.

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicts prognosis and responsiveness to immunotherapy in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta‑analysis

The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a significant prognostic factor in some cancer types. However, the prognostic role of SII in cancer patients with immunotherapy remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between pretreatment SII and clinical survival outcomes for advanced-stage cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify eligible studies concerning the association between pretreatment SII and survival outcomes in advanced cancer patients treated with ICIs. The data were extracted from publications and used to calculate the pooled odds ratio (pOR) for objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and pooled hazard ratio (pHR) for overall survival (OS), progressive-free survival (PFS), along with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Fifteen articles with 2438 participants were included. A higher level of SII indicated a lower ORR (pOR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.94) and worse DCR (pOR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.35-0.88). High SII was associated with a shorter OS (pHR = 2.33, 95% CI 2.02-2.69) and unfavorable PFS (pHR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.61-2.14). Therefore, high SII level might be a non-invasive and efficacious biomarker of poor tumor response and adverse prognosis of advanced cancer patients with immunotherapy.

Prognostic Value of Hematological Parameters in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a significant public health concern. The variables utilized to determine appropriate treatment for this disease also represent its most unfavorable prognostic factors, with these parameters solely determined by the neoplasm and its behavior. However, a lack of well-established indices is evident in the literature that specifically relate to the patient and indicate a worse prognosis.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prognostic impact of hematological indices in patients with OSCC.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who underwent curative-intent treatment. Treatment encompassed surgery, followed by adjuvant therapy, as necessary. Laboratory tests were conducted immediately prior to surgery, and demographic information was obtained from medical records.

RESULTS

The cohort comprised 600 patients, with 73.5% being male subjects. Adjuvant treatment was recommended for 60.3% of patients. Throughout the follow-up period, 48.8% of participants died. Univariate analysis indicated that perineural invasion, angiolymphatic invasion, pT4 tumors, lymph node metastases, extranodal extravasation, RDW > 14.3%, NLR (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio) > 3.38, PLR (platelet-lymphocyte ratio) > 167.3, and SII (systemic inflammatory/immune response index) > 416.1 were factors associated with increased mortality. These threshold values were established through ROC curve analysis. In the multivariate analysis, angiolymphatic invasion (HR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.076-1.925; p = 0.014), pT4a/b tumors (HR = 1.761; 95% CI: 1.327-2.337; p < 0.001), extranodal extravasation (HR = 1.420; 95% CI: 1.047-1.926; p = 0.024), and RDW (HR = 1.541; 95% CI: 1.153-2.056; p = 0.003) were identified as independent risk factors for decreased overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

RDW > 14.3% was proven to be a reliable parameter for assessing overall survival in patients with OSCC. Further studies are required to evaluate the clinical applicability of other hematological indices.

Systemic Inflammatory Disorders, Immunosuppressive Treatment and Increase Risk of Head and Neck Cancers-A Narrative Review of Potential Physiopathological and Biological Mechanisms

Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are known to present multiple factors likely to influence their development. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current scientific literature on the interplay between systemic inflammatory disorders, immunosuppressive treatments and their synergistic effect on HNC risk. Both cell-mediated and humoral-mediated systemic inflammatory disorders involve dysregulated immune responses and chronic inflammation and these inflammatory conditions have been associated with an increased risk of HNC development, primarily in the head and neck region. Likewise, the interaction between systemic inflammatory disorders and immunosuppressive treatments appears to amplify the risk of HNC development, as chronic inflammation fosters a tumor-promoting microenvironment, while immunosuppressive therapies further compromise immune surveillance and anti-tumor immune responses. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this interaction is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies and therapeutic interventions. Additionally, the emerging field of immunotherapy provides potential avenues for managing HNCs associated with systemic inflammatory disorders, but further research is needed to determine its efficacy and safety in this specific context. Future studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and optimize preventive strategies and therapeutic interventions.

Chemotherapy following immune checkpoint inhibitors in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: clinical effectiveness and influence of inflammatory and nutritional factors

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of chemotherapy following immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The association between inflammatory and nutritional factors and prognosis has also been investigated.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RMHNSCC) patients who received chemotherapy following ICI therapy. The response rate and survival after chemotherapy, and nutritional and inflammatory factors, were examined.

RESULTS

The ICI before chemotherapy was nivolumab in 36 patients (70.6%) and pembrolizumab in 15 patients (29.4%). The chemotherapy regimens consisted of PTX in 32 patients (62.7%), PTX + Cmab in 9 (17.6%), and S1 in 10 (19.6%). The median overall survival (OS) was 20 months (95% CI 12-25), the estimated 12-month OS rate was 63.3%, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5 months (CI 4-6), and the 12-month PFS estimate was 8.9%. Univariate analysis significantly correlated Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), controlling nutritional status score (CONUT), and prognostic nutrition index (PNI) with OS and PFS. Additionally, these factors were significantly correlated with OS and PFS in the log-rank tests.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemotherapy following ICI is highly effective. There were no significant differences in the chemotherapy regimens. Inflammatory and nutritional factors may associate with patient prognosis after chemotherapy.

Prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index, systemic inflammation response index, and prognostic nutritional index in head and neck cancer

PURPOSE

This study sought to investigate the prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in patients with head and neck cancer.

METHODS

The data of 310 patients with head and neck cancer who were referred to the Radiation Oncology Clinic of Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine (n = 271, 87%) and to S.B.U. Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Health Practice and Research Centre (n = 39, 13%) between January 2009 and March 2020 were retrospectively analysed. At the time of diagnosis, patients' neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, platelet and albumin levels were used to calculate their SII, SIRI and PNI indices.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis found the after variables to be independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS): SII [hazard ratio (HR) 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-2.47; p = 0.002] and PNI (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.43-0.97; p = 0.038), stage (HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.07-4.16; p = 0.030), fraction technique (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28-0.85; p = 0.011) and age (HR 2.51, 95% CI 1.77-3.57; p = 0.001).The following variables were found to be independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) in multivariate analysis: SII (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.22-3.83; p = 0.008), fractionation technique (HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.004-0.64; p = 0.017) and age (HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.13-3.93; p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

This study found a high SII to be an independent poor prognostic factor for both OS and DFS, while a low PNI was found to be an independent poor prognostic factor only for OS.

Prognostic Values of Systemic Inflammatory Immunological Markers in Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Neutrophils are an important part of the tumor microenvironment, which stimulates inflammatory processes through phagocytosis, degranulation, release of small DNA fragments (cell-free DNA), and presentation of antigens. Since neutrophils accumulate in peripheral blood in patients with advanced-stage cancer, a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio can be a biomarker of a poor prognosis in patients with glioblastoma. The present study aimed to explore the prognostic value of the preoperative levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to better predict prognostic implications in the survival rate of glioblastoma patients.

METHODS

The meta-analysis was carried out according to the recommendations and standards established by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Databases of PubMed, EBSCO, and Medline were systematically searched to select all the relevant studies published up to December 2022.

RESULTS

Poorer prognoses were recorded in patients with a high NLR or PLR when compared with the patients with a low NLR or PLR (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.24-1.83, p < 0.0001 and HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.10-1.63, p < 0.01, respectively). Similarly, a worse prognosis was reported for patients with a higher cfDNA (HR 2.35, 95% CI 1.27-4.36, p < 0.01). The SII and SIRI values were not related to glioblastoma survival (p = 0.0533 and p = 0.482, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Thus, NLR, PLR, and cfDNA, unlike SII and SIRI, appeared to be useful and convenient peripheral inflammatory markers to assess the prognosis in glioblastoma.

Blood- and Imaging-Derived Biomarkers for Oncological Outcome Modelling in Oropharyngeal Cancer: Exploring the Low-Hanging Fruit

Aims: To assess whether CT-based radiomics and blood-derived biomarkers could improve the prediction of overall survival (OS) and locoregional progression-free survival (LRPFS) in patients with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) treated with curative-intent RT. Methods: Consecutive OPC patients with primary tumors treated between 2005 and 2021 were included. Analyzed clinical variables included gender, age, smoking history, staging, subsite, HPV status, and blood parameters (baseline hemoglobin levels, neutrophils, monocytes, and platelets, and derived measurements). Radiomic features were extracted from the gross tumor volumes (GTVs) of the primary tumor using pyradiomics. Outcomes of interest were LRPFS and OS. Following feature selection, a radiomic score (RS) was calculated for each patient. Significant variables, along with age and gender, were included in multivariable analysis, and models were retained if statistically significant. The models’ performance was compared by the C-index. Results: One hundred and five patients, predominately male (71%), were included in the analysis. The median age was 59 (IQR: 52–66) years, and stage IVA was the most represented (70%). HPV status was positive in 63 patients, negative in 7, and missing in 35 patients. The median OS follow-up was 6.3 (IQR: 5.5–7.9) years. A statistically significant association between low Hb levels and poorer LRPFS in the HPV-positive subgroup (p = 0.038) was identified. The calculation of the RS successfully stratified patients according to both OS (log-rank p < 0.0001) and LRPFS (log-rank p = 0.0002). The C-index of the clinical and radiomic model resulted in 0.82 [CI: 0.80–0.84] for OS and 0.77 [CI: 0.75–0.79] for LRPFS. Conclusions: Our results show that radiomics could provide clinically significant informative content in this scenario. The best performances were obtained by combining clinical and quantitative imaging variables, thus suggesting the potential of integrative modeling for outcome predictions in this setting of patients.

Prognostic Value of Inflammatory and Nutritional Biomarkers of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment for Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (RMHNSCC) and to identify the most useful factor for prognosis assessment. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with RMHNSCC who received ICI therapy. The response rate for ICI therapy and the relationship between inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers and overall survival were examined. The included biomarkers did not correlate with an objective response rate but were associated with a disease control rate. Univariate analysis showed significant correlations between the serum albumin level, C-reactive protein level, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune-inflammation index, and controlling the nutritional status score and overall survival; multivariate analysis showed that LMR was significantly correlated with overall survival. LMR was the most important biomarker according to the machine learning model. This study suggests that LMR may be the most useful biomarker for predicting the prognosis of ICI treatment for RMHNSCC.

Prognostic role of the pretreatment systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with glioma: A meta-analysis

Background

The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been recognized as the indicator that reflects the status of immune responses. The SII is related to the prognostic outcome of many malignancies, whereas its role in gliomas is controversial. For patients with glioma, we, therefore, conducted a meta-analysis to determine if the SII has a prognostic value.

Methods

Studies relevant to this topic were searched from 16 October 2022 in several databases. In patients with glioma, the relation of the SII level with the patient prognosis was analyzed based on hazard ratios (HRs) as well as corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Moreover, subgroup analysis was conducted to examine a possible heterogeneity source.

Results

There were eight articles involving 1,426 cases enrolled in the present meta-analysis. The increased SII level predicted the dismal overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.55–2.12, p &lt; 0.001) of glioma cases. Furthermore, an increased SII level also predicted the prognosis of progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.44–2.43, p &lt; 0.001) in gliomas. An increased SII was significantly associated with a Ki-67 index of ≥30% (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.10–2.69, p = 0.017). However, a high SII was not correlated with gender (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.78–1.41, p = 0.734), KPS score (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.17–2.37, p = 0.505), or symptom duration (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.37–4.06, p = 0.745).

Conclusion

There was a significant relation between an increased SII level with poor OS and the PFS of glioma cases. Moreover, patients with glioma with a high SII value have a positive relationship with a Ki-67 of ≥30%.