Nutritional Risk Index Predicts Survival in Patients With Breast Cancer Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Interaction of nutritional and inflammatory levels on all-cause mortality among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition and systemic inflammation are frequently prevalent in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, limited studies have explored the combined impacts of nutritional and inflammatory levels on all-cause mortality among RA. This study is aimed at investigating these potential associations.

METHODS

We involved 2213 RA patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2018). Nutritional risk index (NRI) and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) were used to evaluate the nutritional and inflammatory status of participants, respectively. Weight-based Kaplan-Meier survival curves and COX proportional hazard models were employed to ascertain the independent and joint association.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up of 7.98 years, 544 deaths occurred. Following the adjustment for confounding factors, we found that individuals with moderate/severe malnutrition (HR, 2.13; 95%CI, 1.50-3.03) or high SIRI (HR, 1.49; 95%CI, 1.07-2.07) were independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, the simultaneous moderate/severe malnutrition and high SIRI further elevated the mortality risk (HR, 2.34; 95%CI, 1.53-3.56). An additive interaction was observed between malnutrition and high SIRI, yielding an excess risk of 0.34 (95%CI 0.06-0.62, P = 0.014), and the attributable proportion for the interaction was 20.9% (95%CI 7.6-34.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

This research indicated that malnutrition and high systemic inflammation levels were independent risk factors for the prognosis of RA patients, and co-occurrence can further deteriorate the prognosis. Our findings highlight the importance of maintaining nutrition and anti-inflammation in patients with RA, providing new insights into the prognosis of RA patients.

Association of immunonutritional indicators with all-cause mortality in adult stroke patients

The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between immunonutritional indicators such as the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), the Naples prognostic score (NPS), nutritional risk index (NRI), serum albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TC) and all-cause mortality in adult stroke patients. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) databases for 2005-2018. To determine mortality outcomes, participants were matched with National Death Index records until December 31, 2019. Spearman's correlation analysis and the random survival forest (RSF) were employed to assess the relationships among NPS, NRI, SII, ALB, and TC, and to determine the most predictive indicator for all-cause mortality in stroke patients. For the selected prognostic indicator, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models were subsequently utilized to evaluate their associations with all-cause mortality in stroke patients. The study included 1076 stroke patients, with a median (IQR) age of 67 (56, 77) years. During a median follow-up of 67 months, a total of 372 (weighted 31%) stroke participants died from all causes. Among the immunonutritional indicators evaluated, NPS had the strongest predictive power for all-cause mortality in stroke patients. The Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-rank test showed that all-cause mortality was higher in the higher NPS group (3-4) compared to the lower NPS group (0-2) (P < 0.001). After adjusting for multiple potential confounders, the Cox regression model indicated that the higher NPS (3-4) group remained an independent predictor for higher all-cause mortality risk (HR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.44-2.47, P < 0.001). As a comprehensive evaluation index of inflammation and nutrition, NPS is a powerful predictor of all-cause mortality in stroke patients.

Modified cachexia index and survival in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with CDK 4-6 inhibitors

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study is to evaluate the correlation between survival outcomes and the modified cachexia index (mCXI) in patients with metastatic breast cancer who have been treated with cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors.

METHODS

This study was conducted on patients with metastatic breast cancer who received CDK 4/6 inhibitors (either Palbociclib or Ribociclib) between January 2020 and November 2024.

RESULTS

240 patients were included. A total of 236 patients (98.3%) were female. Median age was 57 (IQR: 48-66 years). The median follow-up period from the initiation of CDK 4/6 inhibitors to the last control was 20 months. One hundred eighty-four patients (76.7%) received ribociclib, while 56 (23.3%) received palbociclib. At diagnosis, 179 patients (74.6%) had metastatic disease. Patients are classified as modified cachexia index-low (mCXI-Low) and mCXI-High according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis results for overall survival (OS) prediction [AUC: 0,654 p:<0,001 Cut-off value = 93.5]. Following multivariate analysis, both progression-free survival [HR: 1.50 (95% CI 1.07-2.12), p = 0.02] and overall survival [HR: 3.22 (95% CI 1.90-5.46), p < 0.001] were found to be significantly associated with mCXI.

CONCLUSION

mCXI is associated with overall survival in metastatic breast cancer patients who are treated with CDK 4-6 inhibitors.

Real-world outcomes of metastatic cancer patients hospitalized at initial diagnosis: ONIRIS, a national study

PURPOSE

Therapeutic management of metastatic cancer patients who are hospitalized at the time of initial diagnosis because of impaired performance status and/or severe symptoms is challenging for clinicians. This study aims to describe their outcome.  METHODS: In this prospective multicentric study, we included all adult, inpatients with newly diagnosed metastatic solid tumors between November 2021 and May 2022. Patients were followed for 3 months.. Our primary objective was to describe overall survival (OS). Secondary objectives included assessing SANT effectiveness in specific subgroups, identifying baseline factors associated with SANT initiation, and assessing usual prognostic tools and factors associated with response.

RESULTS

107 patients were included. Seventy-four (69%) initiated a SANT. Among them, 39 patients were alive at 3 months. Median overall survival was 1.7 months for the entire cohort. Thirty-seven patients (55%) died in the unit where they were first admitted. Patients with chemo-sensitive tumors, such as testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (100% OS at 3 months), or those receiving targeted therapies or hormone therapies (80% OS at 3 months), showed numerically better outcomes. Factors associated with the initiation of a SANT were young age (OR = 0,94 [0,90; 0,98]), low Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR = 0,56 [0,42; 0,73]), and patient's or caregiver's request for treatment (respectively, OR = 0,07 [0,02; 0,17] and 0,17 [0,06; 0,42], compared to the respective reference category (no request)).

CONCLUSION

Metastatic cancer patients hospitalized at the time of diagnosis share a similar poor survival. Despite the notable exception of chemo-sensitive tumors and specific molecular alterations, the high mortality observed in both groups suggests that SANT has a limited impact on their outcomes. Best supportive care can be reasonably considered for these patients. The benefit of SANT in this altered population should be assessed in larger prospective studies.

Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) predicts the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer who received immune checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1/PD-L1)

Numerous studies have consistently indicated a connection between the clinical results of individuals who receive immunotherapy and their nutritional condition. This study aims to evaluate the predictive capacity of the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) in gastric cancer patients who are undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This study included a total of 146 individuals diagnosed with gastric cancer and received a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy using PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The threshold was established by utilizing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. To analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics of the 2 groups, we performed Chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the factors influencing progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. Additionally, we developed nomograms to accurately predict the probability of 1- year and 3-year survival in these patients. According to the threshold, there were 38 (26.0%) patients in the low NRI category and 108 (74.0%) patients in the high NRI category. In the high NRI group, the median survival PFS was 32.50 months, while it was 11.77 months in the low NRI group. Likewise, the average survival OS in the 2 categories was 18.57 months compared to an indefinite duration. Individuals classified in the low NRI category encountered reduced PFS and OS, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.015 and 2.093 respectively, along with corresponding P-values of .009 and .006. The analysis of multiple variables showed that the number of platelets and TNM stage were separate factors that predicted both PFS and OS. Additionally, NRI was further recognized as a separate predictive factor for overall survival. The analysis of a specific subgroup revealed that individuals in the low NRI category experienced worse PFS and OS, especially within the group receiving ICIs. The C-index and the respective 95% CI of the nomograms to forecast the likelihood of PFS and OS survival were 0.646 (0.583-0.709) and 0.693 (0.635-0.751). NRI has the capability to forecast the clinical results of individuals who were diagnosed with gastric cancer and have received ICIs. This makes it a feasible biomarker for identifying patients who could benefit from ICIs.

Preoperative nutritional scores to predict mortality after liver transplantation: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is a well-known risk factor for mortality and morbidity. We investigated whether preoperative malnutrition, diagnosed using an objective nutritional index, was associated with postoperative mortality in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort observational study assessed the preoperative nutritional status of 440 patients who underwent LT, using the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score. We evaluated the association between preoperative malnutrition and 3-year postoperative mortality using the Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test. In addition, we identified prognostic factors for mortality using Cox proportional hazard analysis.

RESULTS

Malnutrition was identified in 72.7% (n = 320), 66.1% (n = 291), and 97.3% (n = 428) of patients as assessed by the NRI, PNI, and CONUT score, respectively. The Kaplan- Meier survival curve demonstrated that mortality increased with the presence and severity of malnutrition risk, as assessed by the NRI and PNI, respectively; however, NRI was the only index identified as an independent risk factor for mortality, along with preoperative renal replacement therapy, platelet count, and C-reactive protein. After adjustment, lower NRI was associated with a higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.95- 0.99, P = 0.009). The malnutrition group (NRI ≤ 100) had a significantly greater incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury than that of the normal group.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative NRI is an independent risk factor for mortality after LT, and therefore it would be a helpful tool for mortality risk stratification in patients undergoing LT.

A metabolic-inflammatory-nutritional score (MINS) is associated with lymph node metastasis and prognostic stratification for endometrial cancer patients

Objective: This study aims to propose a personalized cancer prediction model based on the metabolic-inflammatory-nutritional score (MINS) for predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in endometrial cancer (EC) and validated prediction of survival probability in patients with a family history of Lynch syndrome-associated cancers (LSAC). Methods: A total of 676 patients diagnosed with EC were enrolled in this study. We calculated the optimal cutoff value using restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis or the mean value. Our feature selection process for constructing the MINS involved using the LASSO regression model. MINS were evaluated for LNM using logistic regression analysis. To assess the prognostic value of the MINS, we generated survival curves using the Kaplan-Meier method with a log-rank test. Furthermore, we constructed a nomogram to validate the prognostic significance of the MINS. The predictive accuracy of nomogram was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index) and calibration plot. Results: LNM risk was associated with family history of LSAC and MINS group (all adjusted p<0.05). Patients in the high-risk MINS group or patients with a family history of LSAC exhibited poorer overall survival (p=0.038, p=0.001, respectively). Additionally, a nomogram was demonstrated effective predictive performance with a C-index of 0.778 (95% CI: 0.725-0.832). Conclusion: Preoperative MINS has been determined to be associated with the risk of LNM in EC patients. Utilizing MINS as a basis, the development of a prognostic nomogram holds promise as an effective tool for risk stratification in clinical settings among EC patients with a family history of LSAC.

Nomograms to predict tumor regression grade (TRG) and ypTNM staging in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant therapy (NT) has increased survival rates for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC), but estimating the impact of NT treatment prior to surgery is still very difficult.

METHODS

A retrospective study of the clinical information of 150 patients with locally advanced EC who got NT at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University between June 2018 and June 2023. Patients were randomized into training and internal validation groups at a 3:1 ratio. Furthermore, an external validation cohort comprised 38 patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy at Qianfoshan Hospital in the Shandong Province between June 2021 and June 2023. Independent risk factors were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression (forward stepwise regression). Predictive models and dynamic web nomograms were developed by integrating these risk factors.

RESULTS

A total of 188 patients with locally advanced EC were enrolled, of whom 118 achieved stage I of neoadjuvant pathologic TNM (ypTNM) after receiving NT and 129 achieved grades 0-1 in the tumor regression grade (TRG). Logistic regression analysis identified five independent predictors of TRG grades 0-1: pulmonary function tests (PFT), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), triglyceride (TG) levels, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) levels, and combination immunotherapy. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the training, internal validation, and external validation groups were 0.87, 0.75, and 0.80, respectively. Meanwhile, two independent predictors of stage I of ypTNM were identified: prealbumin (PA) and SCC antigen. The areas under the ROC curves for the training, internal validation, and external validation groups were 0.78, 0.67, and 0.70, respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test for both predictive models showed excellent calibration, with well-fitted calibration curves. Decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curves (CIC) have demonstrated that nomograms are of clinical utility.

CONCLUSION

The nomograms performed well in predicting the likelihood of stage I of ypTNM and TRG grade 0-1 after NT in patients with locally advanced EC. It helps thoracic surgeons to predict the sensitivity of patients to NT before surgery, which enables precise treatment of patients with locally advanced EC.

Impact of Low BMI and Nutritional Status on Quality of Life and Disease Outcome in Breast Cancer Patients: Insights From a Tertiary Cancer Center in India

This study investigates the impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on Quality of Life (QoL) and treatment outcomes in breast cancer (BC) patients, particularly focusing on underweight individuals with compromised nutritional status. A nonrandomized prospective study comprising 121 newly diagnosed patients across various BMI categories utilized FACT-B & FACIT-Sp-12 questionnaires. Follow-ups occurred at baseline, during (3rd and 6th), and after (12th month) anthracycline-taxane chemotherapy, either sequentially or concomitantly. Patients with low BMI (<18.5 kg/m2; 53.7%) exhibited significantly poorer QoL, marked by compromised nutritional indicators (low MUAC and SFT). Repeated measures ANOVA identified significant correlations between BMI groups in functional, social, and emotional QoL aspects (p < 0.05), with no notable differences in other domains. A Chi-square (ꭓ2) test underscored a significant link between BMI and treatment response (p < 0.0001), showing higher rates of non-responders among underweight patients (p = 4.259e-14). The study advocates pretreatment consultation with a dietitian as standard care for Indian BC patients, offering complimentary nutritional support for improved QoL outcomes and treatment responses.

Nutritional Status as a Prognostic Factor for Survival in Palliative Care: A Retrospective Observational Analysis of Home Parenteral Nutrition in Cancer Patients with Inoperable Malignant Bowel Obstruction

Palliative care patients with malignant bowel obstruction are particularly at risk of developing malnutrition, which in turn directly shortens survival time and worsens quality of life (QoL). According to the available data, the survival time in this patient group is often less than three months. To avoid further complications related to malnutrition and poor outcomes in oncological therapy, nutritional therapy such as home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is offered. The aim of this study was to investigate whether nutritional status is a prognostic factor for survival in palliative care patients with malignant inoperable bowel obstruction qualified for home parenteral nutrition and which nutritional assessment tool has the most accurate prognostic value. This retrospective observational analysis included 200 patients with malignant bowel obstruction referred for home parenteral nutrition between January 2018 and August 2023. The analysis included laboratory test results, body mass index (BMI), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and malnutrition as defined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM). The average survival time of the patients was 75 days. Patients with higher NRI and PNI scores were more likely to survive (NRI: p < 0.001; PNI: p < 0.001). The GLIM criteria, SGA scores and BMI values did not prove to be good prognostic factors for survival (GLIM p = 0.922, SGA p = 0.083, BMI p = 0.092). The results suggest that the use of NRI and PNI may be helpful in prognosing survival in these patients and that prevention of the development of malnutrition through earlier nutritional assessment and intervention should be considered in this patient group.

Assessment of the albumin-bilirubin score in breast cancer patients with liver metastasis after surgery

Objective

This study aims to investigate the potential prognostic value of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score in breast cancer patients with liver metastasis after surgery.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of 178 breast cancer patients with liver metastasis after surgery. ALBI score was calculated by the following formula: (log10 bilirubin × 0.66) - (albumin × 0.085). The optimal cutoff value of ALBI score was assessed by X-tile. The clinical influence of ALBI score on survival outcomes using Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test, Cox proportional hazards regression model. The calibration curves, decision curve analysis and time-dependent ROC curve were used to assess the predictive performance of the nomogram's models.

Results

The classifications of 178 breast cancer patients with liver metastasis after surgery were as follows: low ALBI score group (＜-3.36) vs. high ALBI score group (≥-3.36). The Cox proportional hazards regression model indicated that ALBI score was a potential predictor. Kaplan-Meier survival curve performed that the median disease free survival (p = 0.0029) and overall survival (p＜0.0001) in low ALBI score group were longer than in high ALBI score group. The ALBI-based nomograms had good predictive performance.

Conclusions

The ALBI score has high prognostic ability for survival time in breast cancer with liver metastasis after surgery. These models will be valuable in discriminating patients at high risks of liver metastasis.

A Novel Albumin-Related Nutrition Biomarker Predicts Breast Cancer Prognosis in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Two-Center Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Recently, there has been a growing focus on the prognostic significance of nutrition-related biomarkers. We attempted to explore the association between a novel albumin-related nutrition marker called "lymphocyte × albumin (LA)" and disease-free survival (DFS) in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

METHODS

In total, 711 non-metastatic breast cancer patients who underwent NAC at two medical centers were retrospectively analyzed. We performed least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis as well as multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify the variables associated with DFS and to establish a predictive nomogram.

RESULTS

The nomogram incorporated four variables based on the multivariate analysis of DFS in the training cohort: LA, ypN stage, ypT stage, and hormone receptor status. In comparison with the traditional TNM staging system, the nomogram demonstrated superior discrimination, calibration ability, and clinical usefulness in both the training set and internal and external validation sets. Furthermore, patients stratified into different risk groups resulted in significant differences in DFS.

CONCLUSIONS

LA is an independent prognostic biomarker, and LA-based prognostic nomogram offers a more precise assessment of DFS for breast cancer patients treated with NAC, potentially serving as a valuable tool for personalized prognostic predictions.

Nutritional risk index predicts the prognosis of gastric cancer patients with pyloric stenosis who received preoperative parenteral nutrition

Patients with gastric cancer with pyloric stenosis frequently have poor nutritional status and preoperative parenteral nutrition has been a common treatment strategy. The present study aimed to explore the predictive ability of the nutritional risk index (NRI) regarding the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer and pyloric stenosis who received preoperative parenteral nutrition. A total of 194 patients with gastric cancer with pyloric stenosis who received preoperative parenteral nutrition at Tthe Second People's Hospital of Neijiang (Neijiang, China) between January 2016 and December 2021 were included. At the same time, 221 patients with gastric cancer without pyloric stenosis who received surgery during the same period were also collected and the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients were compared. The optimal cut-off value of the NRI was determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve and prognostic factors were identified by survival analysis. Finally, a nomogram was constructed to predict the survival probability of patients with gastric cancer. The results indicated that patients with pyloric stenosis exhibited a wide range of unfavorable pathological characteristics and blood parameters. In addition, their overall survival (OS) was significantly worse (P<0.001). Among the patients with pyloric stenosis, there were 120 patients (61.9%) with an NRI <93.42 and 74 patients (38.1%) with NRI ≥93.42. Furthermore, patients with an NRI <93.42 had poorer OS (34.37 months vs. not reached, P=0.004). Of note, age, tumor size, radical resection, NRI and TNM stage were determined to be independent prognostic factors for OS. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.760 (95%CI: 0.688-0.832). In conclusion, the NRI was indicated to be an accurate score reflecting the nutritional status of patients, which was able to predict the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer with pyloric stricture who received preoperative parenteral nutrition. Patients with a low NRI had shorter survival times.

Nutritional status and quality of life among breast Cancer patients undergoing treatment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of malnutrition in cancer patients ranges from 30 to 60%. While it is known that malnutrition is prevalent among cancer patients, the relationship between undernutrition and quality of life among breast cancer patients has not been adequately explored. Therefore, the present study was aimed at assessing the association between undernutrition and quality of life among Breast Cancer patients under treatment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study on breast cancer patients under treatment at the outpatient and in-patient departments of oncology centers of two tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa - Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) and St. Paul Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) oncology was conducted from May 12 to August 26,2020. Nutritional status was assessed using Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) screening tool. Quality of life was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Cancer 30 (EORTC QLQ C30) a standard quality of life measurement scale for cancer patients. To determine the relationship between quality of life scores and nutritional status multivariable linear regression was fitted.

RESULTS

A total of 411 breast cancer patients with mean age of 44.4 (± 11.47) years. And 393 (95.6%) of them female were included in the study. A high prevalence of moderate 127 (30.9%) and severe 106 (25.8%) malnutrition was observed. Moderate (β = -9.21 CI (- 14.59, - 4.67)) and severe (β = -17.81 CI (- 16.6, 2 - 2.91)) malnutrition were negatively associated with the overall quality of life. Malnutrition also showed negative associations with all domains of functional status (P < 0.05) and strong positive associations with symptom scores covered in the EORTC QLQ C-30 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that malnutrition is a major problem among breast cancer patients and the nutritional status breast cancer patients was related to their quality of life….

The Impact of NUTRItional Status at First Medical Oncology Visit on Clinical Outcomes: The NUTRIONCO Study

Malnutrition affects up to 75% of cancer patients and results from a combination of anorexia and metabolic dysregulation. Metabolic and nutritional abnormalities in cancer patients can lead to cachexia, a multifactorial syndrome characterized by involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass, systemic inflammation and increased protein catabolism. Cancer cachexia negatively affects patients' outcomes, response to anticancer treatments, quality of life, and survival. However, risk of malnutrition, and cachexia are still under-recognized in cancer patients. The Prevalence of Malnutrition in Oncology (PreMiO) study revealed that 51% of patients already had nutritional deficiencies at their first medical oncology visit. Here, we report the results of the subsequent retrospective, observational NUTRItional status at first medical oncology visit ON Clinical Outcomes (NUTRIONCO) study, aimed at assessing the impact of baseline nutritional and non-nutritional variables collected in the PreMiO study on the clinical outcomes of the same patients followed up from August 2019 to October 2021. We have highlighted a statistically significant association between baseline variables and patient death, rehospitalization, treatment toxicity, and disease progression at follow-up. We found a higher overall survival probability in the well-nourished general study population vs. malnourished patients (p < 0.001). Of major interest is the fact that patient stratification revealed that malnutrition decreased survival probability in non-metastatic patients but not in metastatic patients (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that baseline malnutrition (p = 0.004) and VAS score for appetite loss (p = 0.0104), in addition to albumin < 35 g/L (p < 0.0001) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio > 3 (p = 0.0007), were independently associated with the death of non-metastatic patients at follow-up. These findings highlight the importance of proactive, early management of malnutrition and cachexia in cancer patients, and in particular, in non-metastatic patients, from the perspective of a substantial improvement of their clinical outcomes.

Devlin S, Gomes ALC, Moore G, Slingerland J, Shouval R, Armijo GK, DeWolf S, Fei T, Clurman A, Fontana E, Amoretti LA, Wright RJ, Andrlova H, Miltiadous O, Perales MA, Taur Y, Peled JU, van den Brink MRM. Preservation of the fecal microbiome is associated with reduced severity of graft-versus-host disease

Following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is frequently affected by acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), the pathophysiology of which is associated with a dysbiotic microbiome. Since microbial composition varies along the length of the GI tract, the authors hypothesized that microbiome features correlate with the pattern of organ involvement after allo-HCT. We evaluated 266 allo-HCT recipients from whom 1303 stool samples were profiled by 16S ribosomal gene sequencing. Patients were classified according to which organs were affected by aGVHD. In the 20 days prior to disease onset, GVHD patients had lower abundances of members of the class Clostridia, lower counts of butyrate producers, and lower ratios of strict-to-facultative (S/F) anaerobic bacteria compared with allograft recipients who were free of GVHD. GI GVHD patients showed significant reduction in microbial diversity preonset. Patients with lower GI aGVHD had lower S/F anaerobe ratios compared with those with isolated upper GI aGVHD. In the 20 days after disease onset, dysbiosis was observed only in GVHD patients with GI involvement, particularly those with lower-tract disease. Importantly, Clostridial and butyrate-producer abundance as well as S/F anaerobe ratio were predictors of longer overall survival; higher abundance of butyrate producers and higher S/F anaerobe ratio were associated with decreased risk of GVHD-related death. These findings suggest that the intestinal microbiome can serve as a biomarker for outcomes of allo-HCT patients with GVHD.

A Prognostic Model Based on Nutritional Risk Index in Operative Breast Cancer

Background: The nutritional risk index (NRI) is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in various cancers, but its prognostic value in breast cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the NRI and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer and to develop a predictive nomogram. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 1347 breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy or lumpectomy between January 2011 and November 2012. Using a cutoff value of 110.59, patients were divided into a high-NRI group and a low-NRI group. OS was compared between the two groups. Clinicopathological factors independently associated with survival were used to construct a predictive nomogram. Results: Of the 1347 patients, 534 patients were classified as high NRI and 813 as low NRI. OS was significantly shorter in low-NRI patients. The 3- and 5-year OS rates were 87.3% and 73.4%, respectively, in the high-NRI group whereas they were 83.0% and 67.2%, respectively, in the low-NRI group. Cox regression analysis found that histopathological type, tumor size, lymph node status, progesterone receptor (PR) status, Ki-67, and NRI were independently associated with OS. Conclusions: NRI is an independent prognostic factor of OS in breast cancer patients. The proposed nomogram model may be a useful tool for individualized survival prediction.

Nutritional Risk Index as a Prognostic Factor Predicts the Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Stage III Gastric Cancer

Objective

This study is aimed to determine the potential prognostic significance of nutritional risk index (NRI) in patients with stage III gastric cancer.

Methods

A total of 202 patients with stage III gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. NRI was an index based on ideal body weight, present body weight, and serum albumin levels. All patients were divided into two groups by receiver operating characteristic curve: low NRI group (NRI&lt;99) and high NRI group (NRI≥99). The relationship between NRI and clinicopathologic characteristics was evaluated by Chi-square test. The clinical survival outcome was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank test. The univariate and multivariate analyses were used to detect the potential prognostic factors. A nomogram for individualized assessment of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The calibration curve was used to evaluate the performance of the nomogram for predicted and the actual probability of survival time. The decision curve analysis was performed to assess the clinical utility of the nomogram by quantifying the net benefits at different threshold probabilities.

Results

The results indicated that NRI had prognostic significance by optimal cutoff value of 99. With regard to clinicopathologic characteristics, NRI showed significant relationship with age, weight, body mass index, total protein, albumin, albumin/globulin, prealbumin, glucose, white blood cell, neutrophils, lymphocyte, hemoglobin, red blood cell, hematocrit, total lymph nodes, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (P&lt;0.05). Through the univariate and multivariate analyses, NRI, total lymph nodes, and tumor size were identified as the independent factor to predict the DFS and OS. The nomogram was used to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival probabilities, and the calibration curve showed that the prediction line matched the reference line well for 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS and OS. Furthermore, the decision curve analysis also showed that the nomogram model yielded the best net benefit across the range of threshold probability for 1-, 3-, 5-year DFS and OS.

Conclusions

NRI is described as the potential prognostic factor for patients with stage III gastric cancer and is used to predict the survival and prognosis.