Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status Score in Patients Who Underwent Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Nutritional conditions and PFS and OS in cancer immunotherapy: the MOUSEION-010 meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The MOUSEION-010 Meta-Analysis assessed the association between nutritional status and clinical outcomes such as Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) among cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

METHODS

Nutritional status was assessed based on the Prognostic Nutrition Index (PNI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) indexes. Databases consulted were: Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science.

RESULTS

PNI and GNRI indexes did not show a significant association with both PFS and OS, while CONUT index displayed a significant difference in PFS between the two groups, in favor of the control group (Z = 4.04; p < 0.01) also without any publication bias (β= -1.27; 95% CI = [-2.13; -0.42]; p = 0.10]). The same trend was recorded in OS, too (Z = 4.24; p < 0.01). However, publication bias was present (β = 1.89; 95% CI = [1.26; 2.54]; p = 0.028]) and the numerosity of the studies did not reveal the sufficient statistical power to obtain reliable results.

CONCLUSION

Malnutrition could negatively impact cancer patients, especially in advanced phases. Our findings could be associated with the reduction of physical ability and daily activity performance, lower compliance with treatment protocols, and shorter survival outcomes.

Impact of Nutritional Changes on the Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Underwent Curative Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is increasingly used to improve survival in patients with pancreatic cancer; however, it often results in nutritional deterioration, which may negatively impact patient outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of changes in nutritional status on the long-term outcomes of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative surgery after NAC.

METHODS

This retrospective single-center study included 148 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative surgery after NAC between 2010 and 2020. The Controlled Nutritional Status (CONUT) score was used to determine the nutritional status of the patients. Patients were categorized into worsened, maintained, and improved groups based on the changes in their CONUT scores before and after NAC. We compared differences in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between the groups.

RESULTS

The worsened nutritional status group exhibited the shortest median OS (28 months) compared to the maintained and improved groups (39 and 66 months, respectively; p = 0.01). Additionally, the worsened group demonstrated the shortest DFS compared to the other two groups (13, 22, and 39 months, respectively; p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis identified nutritional deterioration as an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratios (HR), 2.11; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.31-3.40; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Nutritional deterioration after NAC is a significant prognostic factor of poor survival outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer. These findings indicate that serial nutritional assessments and treatment during NAC are crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Demographic, clinical and psychological predictors of malnutrition among people with liver cancer

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the nutritional status and examine the demographic, clinical, nutritional, and psychosocial characteristics associated with malnutrition among people with liver cancer.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 162 liver cancer outpatients at a tertiary university hospital. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Self-administered structured questionnaires were administered, and medical records were reviewed for demographic, clinical, nutritional, and psychosocial characteristics.

RESULTS

Based on PG-SGA scores, 27 patients (16.7%) were classified into the malnutrition group. The stages of liver cancer, chemotherapy, physical and psychological symptom distress, global distress index, levels of alpha-fetoprotein and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonists, body mass index, appetite, hemoglobin and albumin levels, and depression were statistically significantly associated with malnutrition. Logistic regression model revealed that physical symptom distress, liver cancer stage, depression, and body mass index influenced statistically significantly malnutrition.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, clinical, nutritional, and psychosocial characteristics predicted malnutrition among people with liver cancer. Nurses should consider these characteristics when evaluating the nutritional status of people with liver cancer.