The C-Reactive Protein (CRP)-Albumin-Lymphocyte (CALLY) index is an established immuno-nutritional scoring system. We screened relevant literature from the major databases up until May, 2024, and extracted the data for analysis. A total of 2829 gastric cancer (GC) patients from six studies were included in this meta-analysis, the results of which revealed that the CALLY index was an independent prognostic factor for OS and RFS in both univariate analyses and multivariate analyses, and that a high CALLY index was a favorable prognostic factor. Moreover, GC patients in the high CALLY index group seemed to have better 5-year OS and 5-year RFS than those in the low CALLY index group. There was a higher proportion of patients with T1 status in the high CALLY index group than in the low CALLY index group. However, the opposite results were found in the analyses of lymph node metastasis positivity, lymph-vascular invasion positivity, postoperative complications, differentiated histological type, anastomotic leakage, and adjuvant chemotherapy. The present meta-analysis concluded that the CALLY index was a simple and useful independent prognostic biomarker for GC patients after gastrectomy.

A systemic analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic utility of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and the modified (m)GPS in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Google Scholar databases were searched for entries added until May 1st, 2023, to obtain relevant articles for this study. The analysis examined several clinical outcomes, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate and disease control rate (DCR). In this analysis, a total of 38 articles with 3,772 patients were included. The pooled results indicated that patients with high GPS levels had shorter OS [GPS 2 vs. 0, hazard ratio (HR): 4.35, P<0.001; GPS 1 vs. 0, HR: 2.00, P<0.001; GPS 2 vs. 1/0, HR: 2.62, P<0.001; GPS 2/1 vs. 0, HR: 2.60, P<0.001) and PFS (GPS 2 vs. 0, HR: 2.11, P=0.001; GPS 1 vs. 0, HR: 1.33, P=0.001; GPS 2 vs. 1/0, HR: 2.11, P<0.001; GPS 2/1 vs. 0, HR: 1.62, P<0.001], as well as a lower DCR [GPS 2 vs. 1/0, odds ratio (OR): 0.53, P<0.001, GPS 2/1 vs. 0, OR: 0.51, P<0.001]. It was also found that patients with high mGPS levels had poorer OS (mGPS 2 vs. 0, HR: 3.15, P<0.001; mGPS 1 vs. 0, HR: 1.70, P<0.001; mGPS 2 vs. 1/0, HR: 1.95, P=0.049; mGPS 2/1 vs. 0, HR: 3.14, P=0.041; continuous variables, HR: 1.52, P<0.001) and PFS (mGPS 2 vs. 0, HR: 2.70, P<0.001; mGPS 1 vs. 0, HR: 1.74, P=0.016; mGPS 2 vs. 1/0, HR: 1.91, P=0.044; continuous variables, HR: 1.29, P<0.001), and lower DCR (mGPS 2 vs. 1/0, HR: 0.46, P<0.001). In conclusion, the GPS and mGPS were reliable predictors of outcomes in cancer patients treated with ICIs.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between lactate-albumin ratio (LAR) and 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis combined with acute kidney failure (SA-AKI). The study was based on the eICU database and collected data from 1855 patients with SA-AKI. The relationship between LAR and 28-day in-hospital mortality was assessed using multivariate Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. A generalised summation model was also used to analyse the non-linear relationship between LAR and mortality. The results showed that the 28-day in-hospital mortality rate of the patients was 19.46% (361/1,855), with a significant positive correlation between LAR and mortality (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.18-1.35, p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the highest quartile of LAR (Q4) had the lowest survival rate. Non-linear analysis showed that when the LAR ratio was less than 2.1, mortality increased with each 1-unit increase in the LAR ratio, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.48 (95% CI 1.20, 1.84, p < 0.001). For patients with SA-AKI, a nonlinear relationship between LAR and 28-day risk of death was observed, with higher LAR associated with higher risk of mortality.

The current understanding of the prognostic value of routine pre-treatment laboratory parameters in patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcoma (HR-STS) is limited. We sought to analyze several inflammatory biomarkers in a large cohort of HR-STS patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative surgical resection.

123 patients with locally advanced high-risk undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), liposarcoma (LPS), leiomyosarcoma (LMS), and synovial sarcoma (SS) who underwent preoperative chemotherapy and regional hyperthermia (RHT) between 2014 and 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. The association of several pre-treatment laboratory parameters with radiologic treatment response, event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS), were analyzed.

Low pre-treatment hemoglobin (HR 2.51, p = 0.018; HR 2.78, p = 0.030) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, HR 0.29, p = 0.0044; HR 0.23, p = 0.010) were significantly associated with EFS and OS in the multivariable analysis. Systemic inflammatory indices such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) did not have a significant impact on survival. Low C-reactive protein (CRP) and high albumin values were associated with poor radiologic response according to RECIST (p = 0.021 and p = 0.010, respectively).

Pre-treatment LDH and hemoglobin are strong independent predictors of survival in HR-STS patients. Systemic inflammatory indices based on circulating immune cells may not serve as reliable prognostic factors for HR-STS patients undergoing curative-intent treatment. Higher pre-treatment albumin levels and lower CRP values may reflect a reduced inflammatory status and could be associated with a poorer radiologic response to preoperative treatment.

Background: Colorectal cancer affects a large number of patients worldwide, with numerous factors being involved in its etiopathogenesis and chronic inflammation playing an essential role in tumor development. In this study, we analyzed and compared several markers of inflammation that are relatively easy to obtain for a rapid and accurate diagnosis and prognosis. Methods: This study included 219 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, analyzing the inflammation scores derived from their blood cells and inflammatory circulating proteins. These inflammatory markers are neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio-NLR; platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio-PLR; lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio-LMR; systemic immune inflammation index-SII; systemic inflammatory response index-SIRI; aggregate index of systemic inflammation-AISI; derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio-dNLR; C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio-CAR; and fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio-FAR. In the analysis of patients with colorectal cancer, we have also introduced two new recently developed inflammatory markers: the cumulative inflammatory index (IIC) and the ratio between the mean corpuscular volume and lymphocytes (MCVL). This study aimed to correlate the inflammatory markers' levels with the colorectal cancer diagnostic stage, the tumor and clinical characteristics of the colorectal cancer patients, and 36 months' survival time and to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic capacity and accuracy of these inflammatory markers in this type of cancer. Results: We showed that the levels of the analyzed inflammation markers correlate with the TNM stage, the tumor pathological differentiation grade, the age and gender of the patients, and overall survival, with their increased levels being associated with a lower survival rate. Conclusions: The analyzed markers, which are easy to perform right from the patient's admission, can be helpful both in diagnosis and, mostly, in prognosis, sustaining the role of inflammation in cancer. By comparing them, we showed which one can be useful for increased sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephrectomy (RNU). A retrospective study of UTUC patients was conducted at West China Hospital between May 2016 and June 2019. The optimal cut-off point for GNRI was determined using the X-Tile procedure. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors, and two- and four-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) prediction nomograms were created based on the results of the multivariate analyses. Furthermore, time-dependent ROC curve, calibration curve and decision curve analyses were conducted. A total of 219 patients with UTUC following RNU were identified and subsequently divided into three groups based on the critical values of GNRI (91.2, 98.8). GNRI was identified as a significant risk factor for CSS, with patients exhibiting higher GNRI demonstrating elevated CSS (hazard ratio = 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.92; P = 0.037). Furthermore, the GNRI-based nomogram demonstrated high predictive capacity for CSS, with areas under the curve of 0.810 and 0.842 for 2- and 4-year CSS, respectively. Preoperative GNRI is an independent predictor for CSS in UTUC patients who underwent RNU and should be considered as a promising personalized tool for clinical decision-making.

The aim of this study is to explore the prognostic value of CRP-Albumin-Lymphocyte (CALLY) index in patients undergoing radical resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

Retrospectively collected clinical data of 286 patients with ICC who underwent radical surgery at Shandong Provincial Hospital from July 2010 to July 2021. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the correlation between the CALLY index and overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), and a nomogram prediction model was established based on the results. The accuracy of the model was evaluated using concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the prognostic value of the nomogram model with the TNM staging system.

The optimal cut-off value of CALLY index was 1.81. In the training set, multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that CALLY index <1.81 was an independent risk factor for OS and RFS (p < 0.05). Compared to neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), CALLY index had a higher area under the curve (AUC). The nomogram established based on the results of multifactorial analysis demonstrated strong efficacy in survival prediction, and the ROC curve showed that the nomogram had a higher prognostic value than TNM staging.

The CALLY index is independently associated with OS and RFS in patients after radical resection of ICC, and the nomogram model based on it shows significantly higher efficacy in predicting the long-term prognosis of patients after radical resection of ICC, and is more accurate than TNM staging.

This study aimed to develop a prognostic model for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients using biomarkers from routine preoperative peripheral blood examinations combined with clinical factors.

This observational study comprised CRC patients (stages I-III) who underwent curative surgery between January 2011 and December 2019. Study variables included patient demographics, tumour characteristics, and immune/inflammatory markers from preoperative blood tests. Cut-off thresholds for continuous variables were determined using maximally selected rank statistics. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified variables associated with 3-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Cox regression models were developed and validated using a random split-sample approach. Nomograms based on these models were constructed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for 12, 24 and 36 months.

A total of 764 patients were included. Independent factors for 3-year DFS included laparoscopic surgery, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and Charlson comorbidity index. The DFS prediction model showed AUC values of 66.6%, 64.8%, and 69% for years 1, 2, and 3, respectively. For CSS, independent factors included age, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), serum albumin, and platelet count, with AUC values of 89.2%, 76.8%, and 71% for years 1, 2, and 3. The most significant contributors to the CSS model were SII and platelet cut-off values.

Inflammatory biomarkers combined with clinical parameters robustly predict 3-year survival outcomes in CRC patients undergoing curative resection. These findings highlight the importance of systemic inflammation in CRC prognosis and support its inclusion in preoperative risk stratification.

Background: Several studies have suggested that the serum albumin-creatinine ratio (sACR) is a useful marker for the early risk stratification of patients with cardiomyocyte injury. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between sACR and anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity. Methods: This study included patients who had received anthracycline-based chemotherapy between 2014 and 2023 and had undergone baseline and follow-up echocardiography after the treatment. The level of sACR was calculated using serum albumin and creatinine values obtained before the chemotherapy. The definition of cardiotoxicity was based on the criteria of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for ejection fraction and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) for diastolic dysfunction. The patients were categorized into either the high or low sACR group based on the cut-off value obtained from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: In total, 525 patients (159 males, 366 females) were included. Multivariate analysis after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), cardiovascular disease, hemoglobin, anthracycline dose, and gender showed that sACR (HR = 1.85% 95 CI 1.12 to 3.06 p = 0.016), cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.97% 95 CI 1.08 to 3.61 p = 0.027), BMI (HR = 1.86% 95 CI 1.12 to 3.10 p = 0.017), and age (HR = 1.02% 95 CI 1.001 to 1.04 p = 0.036) were significantly associated with an increased risk of cardiotoxicity. Conclusions: This study is the first to show a significant relationship between sACR and cardiotoxicity related to anthracycline use. Routine laboratory tests that are conducted before anthracycline therapy can aid clinicians in identifying high-risk patients who may require closer follow-up or cardioprotective measures.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been extensively utilized in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, patient responses to these therapies exhibit significant variability. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) in patients with ESCC undergoing immunotherapy.

A retrospective study was conducted on 677 patients with metastatic/recurrent or unresectable ESCC who received immunotherapy. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Log-rank test compared survival differences between high and low GNRI groups, while Cox proportional hazards models analyzed the impact of GNRI on survival in various subgroups and identified independent prognostic factors. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on endoscopic biopsy tissues from 45 patients with unresectable disease who received immune ICIs as first-line treatments to investigate the predictive performance of GNRI combined with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) for tumor response and overall survival (OS).

Regardless of metastatic/recurrent disease or unresectable status, patients with high GNRI levels had significantly longer OS time (P<0.001). Moreover, the protective role of GNRI was observed in various subgroups. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score, distant organ metastasis, previous treatments, ICI modalities and GNRI were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS. Furthermore, the predictive performance of GNRI for OS may surpass that of PD-L1 expression (P=0.009 vs. P=0.38), while PD-L1 expression excelled in predicting tumor response (P=0.007 vs. P=0.08). The combination of these two indicators effectively predicted both tumor response (P=0.04) and OS (P=0.03) in immunotherapy.

The GNRI serves as a robust prognostic indicator in patients with ESCC who are treated with ICIs. The integration of PD-L1 expression and GNRI demonstrates significant predictive value for tumor response and OS.

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the pre-treatment prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC) treated with endostar combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (ECCRT).

Clinical data from 92 patients with LANPC who underwent ECCRT between May 2015 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The PNI was calculated using peripheral blood samples taken 1 week before treatment. The optimal cut-off value for PNI was determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis based on overall survival (OS). Patients were categorized into high PNI and low PNI groups. The Kaplan-Meier method assessed the impact of PNI on survival, while univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses identified independent risk factors affecting patient survival.

The optimal cut-off value of PNI was 50.05. The 3-year OS, progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRRFS) rates were 91.07% vs. 75.00% (P = 0.002), 83.93% vs. 66.67% (P = 0.015), 89.29% vs. 69.44% (P = 0.004), and 94.64% vs. 91.67% (P = 0.668) in the high PNI and low PNI groups, respectively. A low PNI was associated with shorter OS (HR = 3.592, P = 0.004), PFS (HR = 2.890, P = 0.017), and DMFS (HR = 3.826, P = 0.008). Multivariate analysis revealed that PNI was an independent prognostic factor for OS, PFS, and DMFS.

The PNI may serve as a valuable prognostic predictor for patients with LANPC receiving ECCRT, aiding clinicians in selectively providing multimodal interventions to optimize survival outcomes.

The prognostic value of nutritional status in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6is) and endocrine therapy (ET) is unclear.

The effect of PNI values before starting CDK 4/6i on patient prognosis was retrospectively analyzed.

A total of 431 patients were evaluated. After 35.7 months of follow-up, the median overall survival (mOS) was 46.3 months (95% CI, 29.7-62.8). The PNI-low group had decreased progression-free survival compared to the PNI-high group [16.6 vs. 30.5 months; univariate HR = 1.640, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.281-2.099, P < .001]. The PNI-low group's mOS was noticeably shorter than the PNI-high group (35.0 months vs. not reached; multivariate-adjusted HR: 2.082, 95% CI: 1.398-3.102, P < .001). When stratified by CDK4/6i line: In patients using CDK4/6i as the first line, mPFS for the PNI-low and PNI-high group was 24.6 vs. 35.6 months (P = .026), and survival probabilities at 24, 36, and 48 months in the PNI-low and PNI-high groups were 75%, 62%, 57%, and 88%, 80%, and 72%, respectively (P = .002). In patients using CDK4/6i as the second line and after, mPFS was 8.2 vs.12.0 months (P = .014), and mOS was 18.6 vs. 39.6 months (P = .001) for the PNI-low and PNI-high group, respectively. The ORR and DCR were significantly lower in the low-PNI group than in the high-PNI group (P = .018 and P = .017, respectively). The incidence of grade 3-4 side effects due to CDK4/6is (39.8% vs. 30.7%, P = .046) was significantly greater in the PNI-low group than in the PNI-high group.

This study's results suggest that PNI is an easily measured and reliable indicator of prognosis in mBC patients treated with CDK4/6i and ET.

Hypoalbuminemia is associated with poor outcomes in cancer patients, but its role in spinal metastases remains unclear.

This study aimed to identify albumin cutoff values defining hypoalbuminemia and describe the association between serum albumin and outcomes in patients with spinal metastases.

A narrative review of articles up to December 2022 was conducted using PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. Variables extracted included study design, patient characteristics, serum albumin levels, treatments, and levels of evidence. Outcomes included survival/mortality, complications, ambulatory status, readmission, length of stay, discharge disposition, and blood loss.

Thirty-eight studies comprising 21,401 patients were analyzed. Most studies (92%) were Level of Evidence III. Albumin was evaluated as a continuous variable in 18% of studies and as a dichotomous variable in 76%, with 3.5 g/dL being the most common threshold for hypoalbuminemia. Primary outcomes evaluated were survival/mortality (71% of studies), complications (34%), and reoperation/readmission (11%). Of studies examining the association between hypoalbuminemia and survival/mortality, 74% found a significant association. An association between albumin levels and complications was found in 54% of relevant studies.

The findings of this study suggest that a threshold of 3.5 g/dL seems most appropriate to define hypoalbuminemia in patients with spinal metastases. However, evidence also supports a level-dependent effect. The most consistent significant association was between low albumin and survival at both fixed and continuous time points. There is less evidence to support an association between hypoalbuminemia and other endpoints such as perioperative complications.

Non-functional gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) are rare tumors, and liver metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with GEP-NENs. Due to the difficulty in conducting large cohort studies, no reliable tool currently exists to predict the risk of liver metastasis in these patients. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram model based on large cohort clinical data to accurately predict the risk of liver metastasis in patients with non-functional GEP-NENs.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, encompassing 838 patients with non-functional GEP-NENs diagnosed between 2009 and 2023. Independent risk factors for liver metastasis were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. A nomogram was constructed based on significant predictors, including T stage, N stage, Ki-67 index, primary tumor site, and BMI. The model's performance was evaluated using the C-index, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) for both training and validation cohorts.

The nomogram demonstrated excellent predictive performance, with C-index values of 0.839 and 0.823 for the training and validation sets, respectively. Risk stratification using the nomogram's total score effectively differentiated high-risk from low-risk patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed significant survival differences between these groups (P < 0.0001). Moreover, the calibration curves indicated strong agreement between predicted and observed outcomes.

The developed nomogram is a reliable tool for predicting the risk of liver metastasis in non-functional GEP-NENs. It facilitates early identification of high-risk patients, thereby enabling personalized treatment and timely intervention. Future research should focus on multicenter validation and the integration of molecular markers to enhance the robustness and clinical applicability of the model.

Sarcopenia is a common indicator of systemic nutritional status in patients with cancer progression. This study investigated the impacts of sarcopenia on adverse effects and prognosis of sarcopenia on patients with esophageal cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy.

The clinical data of 158 patients with initially diagnosed esophageal cancer who received chemoradiotherapy were collected, and nutritional indexes and inflammatory markers were calculated. The cross-sectional areas of the skeletal muscle, subcutaneous fat and visceral fat were calculated using computed tomography (CT) images of the midpoint of the third lumbar (L3) vertebra. The incidence of adverse events, response evaluation, 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between sarcopenia group and non-sarcopenia groups.

This study included 158 patients, 103 (71.5%) in the sarcopenia group and 45 (28.5%) in the non-sarcopenia group. The last follow-up date was January 31, 2024. The median follow-up time was 36 months for all patients. The chi-square test revealed no significant difference in the incidence of serious adverse events between the two groups. The complete response rates (CR) of patients in the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups 1 month after chemoradiotherapy were 2.7 and 13.3%, respectively, p = 0.017, and the difference was statistically significant. Moreover, the objective response rates (ORR) were 38.9 and 60.0%, respectively (χ2 = 5.770, p = 0.016). The median survival time for all patients was 36 months [95% Confidence Interval CI 24-48]. Univariate analysis (Cox proportional risk model) showed that sarcopenia, KPS score, albumin level, T stage, and N stage were correlated with patients' OS. Multivariate analysis showed that sarcopenia (Hazard Ratio HR 2.84, 95%CI [1.45-5.57], p = 0.002), KPS score, albumin level and N stage were independent prognostic factors for OS.

Sarcopenia reduced OS in patients with EC treated with chemoradiotherapy. It can be used as an independent indicator to predict the OS of such patients, which may help in developing optimal treatment strategies.

The prevalence and mortality rates of gastric carcinoma are disproportionately elevated in China, with the disease's intricate and varied characteristics further amplifying its health impact. Precise forecasting of overall survival (OS) is of paramount importance for the clinical management of individuals afflicted with this malignancy.

To develop and validate a nomogram model that provides precise gastric cancer prevention and treatment guidance and more accurate survival outcome prediction for patients with gastric carcinoma.

Data analysis was conducted on samples collected from hospitalized gastric cancer patients between 2018 and 2020. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, univariate, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to identify independent prognostic factors. A nomogram model was developed to predict gastric cancer patient outcomes. The model's predictability and discriminative ability were evaluated via receiver operating characteristic curves. To evaluate the clinical utility of the model, Kaplan-Meier and decision curve analyses were performed.

A total of ten independent prognostic factors were identified, including body mass index, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, albumin, globulin, neutrophil count, lactate dehydrogenase, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio. The area under the curve (AUC) values for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival prediction in the training set were 0.843, 0.850, and 0.821, respectively. The AUC values were 0.864, 0.820, and 0.786 for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival prediction in the validation set, respectively. The model exhibited strong discriminative ability, with both the time AUC and time C-index exceeding 0.75. Compared with TNM staging, the model demonstrated superior clinical utility. Ultimately, a nomogram was developed via a web-based interface.

This study established and validated a novel nomogram model for predicting the OS of gastric cancer patients, which demonstrated strong predictive ability. Based on these findings, this model can aid clinicians in implementing personalized interventions for patients with gastric cancer.

Anemia is a prevalent issue among cancer survivors, which greatly affects their quality of life and overall prognosis. The Naples Prognostic Score (NPS), an inflammation-based prognostic tool, is increasingly acknowledged for its potential in predicting clinical outcomes. This study aims to assess the correlation between anemia status, prognosis, and NPS in cancer survivors.

This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database spanning from 2003 to 2018, along with death data from the National Death Index (NDI) up to December 31, 2019. A total of 80,312 participants were included, of whom 4,260 were identified as cancer survivors. After applying rigorous exclusion criteria for missing variables, 3,143 participants were retained in the final analysis. NPS was calculated using serum albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TC), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR). After adjusting relevant confounding factors, weighted univariable and multivariable logistic regression were utilized to calculate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves and Log-rank test were employed to compare survival differences among the three patient groups, while Cox proportional regression was utilized to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed to assess the consistency of the outcomes.

Univariable and multivariable analyses indicated positive correlation between NPS and anemia in cancer survivors (P < 0.05). When NPS was treated as continuous variable, crude model showed that higher NPS scores were linked to higher likelihood of anemia in cancer survivors (OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.55 - 2.02; P < 0.001), and this association remained significant even after adjusting for all confounding variables (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.45 - 1.90; P < 0.001). Moreover, with Q1 (score = 0) as the reference category, the analysis demonstrated positive association between NPS and the prevalence of anemia in cancer survivors, regardless of whether the model was crude or fully adjusted (P < 0.001). KM analysis indicated that the decline in overall survival from all causes and other causes was significantly more pronounced among anemic cancer survivors in the Q3 (score = 3 or 4) group (P < 0.05). After accounting for all confounding factors, individuals with the highest NPS had HR of 2.46 (95% CI: 1.81 - 3.34) for all-cause mortality. However, there were no significant differences in mortality trends related to cardiovascular or cancer causes (P > 0.05). Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analysis revealed no statistically significant interactions (P for interaction < 0.05).

The study highlights the correlation between higher NPS and an increased prevalence of anemia in cancer survivors, indicating that NPS may serve as a valuable tool for assessing the prognosis of cancer survivors in clinical practice and for guiding interventions aimed at mitigating anemia-related complications.

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, with an increasing incidence rate, particularly among adolescents. Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), though less common than papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), presents greater diagnostic challenges, especially when differentiating from follicular adenoma (FA). Current diagnostic methods lack specificity, underscoring the need for a simple, cost-effective predictive model for FTC.This study aimed to develop a predictive scoring system based on routine blood biomarkers to distinguish between FTC and FA, facilitating early diagnosis and treatment.

A retrospective, single-center case-control study was conducted on patients diagnosed with FTC and FA at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from 2016 to 2022. Patients' demographic, clinicopathological characteristics, and preoperative blood biomarker data were analyzed. Statistical tests, including chi-square, t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U-tests, were used to compare biomarkers. Significant variables were included in univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, leading to the development of a scoring system. The model's performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

The study included 23 patients with FA and 26 patients with FTC. Seven blood biomarkers showed significant differences between the groups: ALB, DBIL, TBIL, LYM#, MCHC, RDW-SD, and WBC. Multivariate logistic regression identified ALB and WBC as key predictors, forming a scoring model (Score = 0.54 × ALB - 1.10 × WBC). The model exhibited strong predictive performance (AUC = 0.839), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.808 and 0.826, respectively.

The study developed a novel predictive model using routine blood biomarkers, offering a non-invasive, cost-effective tool for differentiating between FTC and FA. The model has significant clinical potential, providing a feasible alternative to conventional diagnostic techniques. Further multicenter studies and mechanistic investigations are warranted to validate and refine the model, enhancing its utility in clinical practice.

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of pretreatment lactate dehydrogenase to albumin ratio (LAR) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with first-line programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on advanced NSCLC patients treated with first-line PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy at Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined the optimal LAR cutoff values for prediction. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified independent prognostic factors, and survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Subgroup analysis evaluated the association between high LAR and disease progression and death risk.

A total of 210 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 58.56 ± 10.61 years and a male proportion of approximately 79.05%. ROC analysis found the optimal LAR cutoff value was 5.0, resulting in a sensitivity of 78.87% and a specificity of 44.6% (area under the ROC curve 0.622; P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant positive association between LAR and overall survival (OS) after adjusting for confounders (HR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.25-3.96, P = 0.007). Subgroup analysis confirmed the relationship between high LAR and the risk of disease progression and death across all patient subgroups.

Pretreatment LAR may be a potential independent prognostic marker for advanced NSCLC patients receiving PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy. A large-scale, prospective study is necessary to confirm these findings.

The Epic End of Life Care Index (EOLCI) predicts 1-year mortality for a general adult population using medical record data. It is deployed at various medical centers, but we are not aware of an independent validation. We evaluated its performance for predicting 1-year mortality in patients with metastatic cancer, comparing it against an academic machine learning model designed for cancer patients. We focused on this patient population because of their high short-term mortality risk and because we had access to the comparator model predictions.

This retrospective analysis included adult outpatients with metastatic cancer from four outpatient sites. Performance metrics included AUC for 1-year mortality and positive predictive value of high-risk score.

There were 1,399 patients included. Median age at first EOLCI prediction was 67 and 55% were female. A total of 1,283 patients were evaluable for 1-year mortality; of these, 297 (23%) died within 1 year. AUC for 1-year mortality for EOLCI and academic model was 0.73 (95% CI [0.70-0.76]) and 0.82 (95% CI [0.80-0.85]), respectively. Positive predictive value was 0.38 and 0.65, respectively.

The EOLCI's discrimination performance was lower than the vendor-stated value (AUC of 0.86) and the academic model's performance. Vendor-supplied machine learning models should be independently validated, particularly in specialized patient populations, to ensure accuracy and reliability.

This study explored the predictive factors for surgical site infection (SSI) in a pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) population.

Data from 35 patients with UC who underwent surgery before 15 years at Mie University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Potential preoperative and intraoperative predictors of SSI, including various demographic and clinical variables, were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression analysis. The optimal cutoff value for the variables was determined by examining the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Of the 35 patients, 8 (22.9%) experienced SSI. The platelet-to-albumin ratio (PAR) is a more accurate predictor of SSI occurrence than the serum albumin level, platelet count, or C-reactive protein level. The sensitivity and specificity of PAR were 75.0% and 77.8%, respectively, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.782 (p = 0.018). A multivariable analysis revealed that preoperative PAR was the only significant independent predictor (cutoff value: 115,000, p = 0.047) when the optimal cutoff value was applied rather than the median value.

This study demonstrated the value of the preoperative PAR in the management of pediatric patients with UC. Assessing the patient's PAR before surgery allows proactive treatment to reduce the risk of SSI.

Diet quality is closely related to the occurrence of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers; however, few studies have investigated the association between the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2020) and the alternative Mediterranean diet (aMED) scores and GI (GI) cancers. This study aims to assess the association between HEI-2020, aMED scores and GI cancers. Information from a total of 26,320 participants was included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In our sub-analysis, we focused on participants with complete dietary and health data, specifically assessing the relationship between diet quality and GI cancers outcomes. The 24-hour recall questionnaire was used to collect and assess the participants' average dietary intake. Diagnoses of GI cancers were based on self-reported medical history confirmed through physician interviews or linked cancer registry data, ensuring diagnostic reliability. Logistic regression models, restricted cubic splines (RCS), subgroup analysis, and interaction methods were employed to fully evaluate the associations between HEI-2020, aMED scores, and GI cancers. Mediation analysis was also conducted to identify potential mediators of this relationship. Even after fully adjusting for potential confounders, participants with high adherence to the HEI-2020-2020 and aMED scores were significantly associated with a reduced risk of GI cancers. Compared to the lowest tertile of HEI-2020, participants in the highest tertile had a 30% reduced risk of GI cancers (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.98, p = 0.037). Compared to the lowest tertile of aMED scores, participants in the highest tertile had a 37% reduced risk of GI cancers (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.92, p = 0.014). RCS analysis indicated that both HEI-2020 and aMED scores were significantly associated with GI cancers; however, no significant non-linear relationship was observed. The primary findings confirm that higher adherence to HEI-2020 and aMED scores is associated with a lower risk of GI cancers. These results suggest that maintaining a high-quality diet may play a crucial role in the prevention and management of these cancers. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms and effects of healthy diet management and high-quality diets in the prevention of GI cancers.

Systemic inflammation, as an important host property, is the most representative tumor-host interactions in cancer, and the development of malignant neoplasms may contribute to impairment on nutritional status. This study aimed to investigate the potential ability of nutritional and inflammatory index in predicting neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy efficacy and prognosis in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

This study was conducted using multi-institutional data. A total of 507 patients (262 in the training and 245 in the validation cohort) with stage IIA-IIIC LARC fit for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were recruited from 2012 to 2014 were included in this study. Advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) reflected nutritional and inflammatory status. The ALI was calculated as body mass index (BMI) × albumin × neutrophil/lymphocyte. Logistic regression model was used to identify predictive factors for preoperative treatment response. Cox multivariate regression models were used to analyze the factors affecting disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

In the training cohort, patients with high pretreatment ALI were observed to be associated with young patients, never smoked, relatively high BMI, and early-stage pathologic TNM staging. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that pretreatment ALI and its changing was the single most important factor determining outcomes than other inflammatory indicators. The 10-year DFS and OS rates of the whole group were 63.6% and 74.1% respectively. Patients with low pretreatment ALI and ALI change had significantly poorer 10-year DFS (P < .001 and P = .001) and 10-year OS (P = .002 and P = .025) rates than those with high ALI and ALI change. Similar findings were observed in the validation cohort. Multivariate analysis revealed that pretreatment ALI (P = .047 and P = .006) and ALI change (P = .027 and P = .041) were identified as independent prognostic factors for DFS. Meanwhile, high pretreatment ALI (P = .020 and P = .010), high systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) change (P = .040 and P = .012) and clinical stage T2-T3 were independent protective factors for OS. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that pretreatment ALI, ALI change, and SII change could independently predict efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Our results suggest that as a feasible indicator of nutritional and inflammatory status, the ALI shows better efficiency than other inflammatory indicators in predicting efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and prognosis.

To identify prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and develop a prognostic score in patients receiving docetaxel in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Retrospective analysis was conducted on mCRPC patients treated with docetaxel at a German tertiary center between March 2010 and November 2023. Prognostic clinical and laboratory factors were analyzed using uni- and multivariable logistic regression. Next, the result of the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (cut-off ≥3), the presence of high-volume bone metastases (as defined by CHAARTED criteria), hemoglobin (Hb) (cut off < 13.2 g/dl), Gleason score ≥8, and presence of visceral metastases were combined into the Metastasized Prostate Cancer Survival Score (MeProCSS). Patients were then stratified into three prognostic groups. Their OS was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Median OS for the overall cohort (n = 153) and the first-line cohort (n = 83) was 18 and 21.5 months, respectively. In multivariable analysis, high-volume bone metastases and Hb levels below the norm were significant predictors of shorter OS in the total cohort. The MeProCSS demonstrated an area under curve (AUC) of 0.837 in the overall cohort and 0.946 in first-line cohort. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant association between lower MeProCSS and longer OS in both the overall (p<0.001) and first-line (p = 0.035) cohort.

MeProCSS, consisting of routinely collected parameters prior to the start of chemotherapy, seems to effectively stratify patients with mCRPC into risk groups based on their metastatic burden, nutritional and inflammatory status. This model may guide treatment decisions and reveal a potentially often underestimated or overlooked urgency for additional measures as supportive palliative care in mCRPC patients. Further large and prospective studies are necessary for validation of MeProCSS-also in other systemic PC therapy regimens.

This study aimed to explore the association between dietary antioxidant index (DAI) combined with serum albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) and postoperative Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

All patients were newly diagnosed with ESCC and underwent radical esophagectomy. Dietary data and routine blood tests were collected preoperatively to compute DAI and AGR. HRQOL was assessed over 7 years post-surgery via telephone follow-up and analyzed longitudinally using a time to deterioration (TTD) model. The deterioration times were compared using the log-rank test, and the association of the combined DAI and AGR index with postoperative quality of life in ESCC patients was examined through Cox regression models.

A total of 238 ESCC patients were included in the study. The results indicate that compared to the low DAI-AGR group, the high DAI-AGR group had a lower rate of deterioration events, and the time to deterioration in emotional functioning (p=0.014), dysphagia (p=0.042), and speech problems (p=0.023) were significantly delayed. Cox proportional hazard model revealed that preoperative high DAI-AGR was associated with improvement in emotional functioning (HR=0.575, 95% CI: 0.368-0.898) and speech problems (HR=0.525, 95% CI: 0.298-0.925) in ESCC patients postoperatively, which remained significant even after adjusting for covariates. The stratified analysis revealed that this improvement was associated with demographic and clinical characteristics.

Our findings suggest that high preoperative DAI-AGR is linked to enhanced postoperative HRQOL in ESCC patients, offering crucial insights for patients, practitioners, and researchers.

Inflammatory, nutritional, and immune biomarkers are associated with the prognosis of patients with various tumors. Recently, a comprehensive predictive biomarker, the hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score, was introduced to predict clinical outcomes. We investigated the prognostic impact of preoperative HALP scores in patients who underwent hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM).

The subjects of this study were 209 patients who underwent hepatectomy for CRLM between February, 2005 and September, 2023. The HALP score was defined as (albumin [mg/dL] × hemoglobin [g/L] × lymphocyte [count/L]) / platelet [count/L]. The cutoff value was calculated according to the receiver operating characteristic curve based on 3-year survival.

The cutoff value of the HALP score was 35, and a low HALP score was confirmed in 107 patients (51%). Multivariate analysis of disease-free survival identified lymph node metastasis (HR 1.53, p = 0.03), extrahepatic lesions (HR 2.48, p < 0.01), and a low HALP score (HR 2.0, p < 0.01) as independently poor prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis of overall survival identified extrahepatic lesions (HR 2.98, p < 0.01), a high CEA (HR 1.78, p = 0.02), and a low HALP score (HR 1.92, p = 0.02) as independently poor prognostic factors.

The HALP score is a useful prognostic factor for patients undergoing hepatectomy for CRLM.

There is emerging evidence that host related variables predict outcomes in various cancers. The Host index (H-index) incorporates various host-related, blood-derived biomarkers (immunological and nutritional parameters) as a single mathematical formula. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes using the H-index as a prognostic marker in gallbladder cancer (GBC) patients undergoing curative resection.

Retrospective cohort study of surgically treated GBCs at a tertiary cancer centre from January 2010 to May 2023 was performed. Patients who had received neoadjuvant therapy, metastatic (M1) disease at time of surgical exploration and incidental GBCs were excluded. Baseline neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and platelet counts, hemoglobin and albumin levels were recorded. H-index was computed and analysed.

241 curatively resected GBC patients were included. The H-index was inversely associated with disease free survival (DFS), both on univariate (79.7 vs. 61.4% for H-index  3.4 respectively; p = 0.046) and multivariate analysis (Hazard ratio [HR] for recurrence: 1.954 [95% C.I.: 1.366-2.796]; p = < 0.001). Using the maximally distributed rank statistics, a cut-off of 1.31 showed a significant difference in 3-year DFS (86.2 vs. 68.4% for H-index  1.31 respectively; HR: 2.21 [95% CI: 1.16-4.21]; p = 0.013) but not overall survival (OS) (p = 0.269).

A higher H-index predicted for worse DFS in curatively resected GBC patients. This shows host related variables do play a role in influencing outcomes in GBC. However, larger prospective studies are required to further strengthen this finding.

Host-related, blood derived biomarkers can influence outcomes in various solid tumours. A higher baseline Host index (H-index) value which incorporates various blood-derived biomarkers, predicted for worse disease-free survival in curatively resected gallbladder cancers.

Recent research suggests that the emerging neutrophil-albumin ratio (NAR) has a significant correlation with the survival outcomes across a range of tumors, yet its predictive significance for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains insufficiently investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR) and overall survival (OS) in patients with NPC, as well as to develop a corresponding prognostic model.

This retrospective analysis included 861 NPC patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), who were randomly divided into a training group (n = 605) and a validation group (n = 256). To identify factors associated with OS and construct a prognostic nomogram, both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. The nomogram's prognostic accuracy was evaluated and independently validated.

The NAR score successfully segregated NPC patients into two categories with significantly different OS (HR = 0.536; 95 % CI: 0.296-0.972, P = 0.040). Through multivariate analysis, factors such as age, T stage, N stage, and NAR score were identified as independent predictors of OS, leading to the creation of a prognostic nomogram. This nomogram demonstrated superior predictive capability for OS [C-index = 0.702 (95 % CI: 0.636-0.768)], surpassing that of the conventional staging system [C-index = 0.651 (95 % CI: 0.549-0.752)]. The findings underwent internal validation within an independent cohort.

The NAR, an emergent biomarker combining nutritional and inflammatory status, offers a practical, low-cost, and non-invasive prognostic measure for NPC patients treated with CCRT. Additionally, the prognostic nomogram derived from NAR surpasses traditional staging systems in predictive accuracy.

The importance of evaluating the nutritional status and immune condition prior to surgery has gained significant attention in predicting the prognosis of cancer patients in recent years. The objective of this study is to establish a risk model for predicting the prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) patients. Data from GBC patients who underwent radical resection at West China Hospital of Sichuan University (China) from 2014 to 2021 were retrospectively collected. A novel risk model was created by incorporating the prognostic nutritional index and glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio, and each patient was assigned a risk score. The patients were then divided into low- and high-risk cohorts, and comparisons were made between the two groups in terms of clinicopathological features and prognosis. Propensity score matching was conducted to reduce potential bias. A total of 300 GBC patients receiving radical surgery were identified and included in this study. Patients in the high-risk group were older, had higher levels of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 125 (CA125), and cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), were more likely to experience postoperative complications, and had more aggressive tumor characteristics, such as poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and advanced tumor stage. They also had lower overall survival (OS) rates (5-year OS rate: 11.2% vs. 37.4%) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates (5-year DFS rate: 5.1% vs. 18.2%). After propensity score matching, the high-risk population still experienced poorer prognosis (5-year OS rate: 12.7% vs 20.5%; 5-year DFS rate: 3.2% vs 8.2%). The risk model combining prognostic nutritional index and glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio can serve as a standalone predictor for the prognosis and assist in optimizing the treatment approach for GBC patients.

Sotorasib is a novel KRASG12C inhibitor that has shown robust efficacy, safety, and tolerability in patients with KRASG12C mutation. The objectives of the population pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis were to characterize sotorasib population PK in healthy subjects and patients with advanced solid tumors with KRASG12C mutation from 6 clinical studies, evaluate the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on PK parameters, and perform simulations to further assess the impact of identified covariates on sotorasib exposures. A two-compartment disposition model with three transit compartments for absorption and time-dependent clearance and bioavailability well described sotorasib PK. Sotorasib exposure increased in a less-than-dose proportional manner across the evaluated 180 mg to 960 mg dose range. Disease burden, measured by Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score and baseline tumor size, were identified as significant covariates on clearance. Lower disease burden was associated with higher clearance (and thus lower sotorasib exposure). Low albumin was found to be associated with lower clearance of sotorasib. Use of PPIs was associated with reduced sotorasib exposures. Although sex, race, and high fat meal were significantly associated with PK parameters, their impact on exposures were not clinically relevant. Other evaluated covariates, including body weight, age, renal impairment (evaluated by chronic kidney disease stage score) and hepatic impairment (evaluated by NCI criteria) were not statistically significant. Greater baseline disease burden and low albumin were associated with lower sotorasib clearance; based on the established efficacy and safety profiles from clinical trials, the estimated magnitude of these effects does not warrant a dose adjustment.

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of C-reactive protein to albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transcatheter intra-arterial therapy combined with molecular targeted agents (MTAs) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors.

Medical records of 271 consecutive patients with HCC receiving this combination therapy in China between 2019 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The discriminatory capability of inflammation-based prognostic scores-including the CRP/Alb ratio, C-reactive protein and alpha-fetoprotein in immunotherapy (CRAFITY) score, modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII)-was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC).

A total of 133 patients met the inclusion criteria. The optimal cutoff value for the binary classification of CRP/Alb ratio in predicting OS, as determined using X-tile software, was 0.02. Multivariate analysis identified the CRP/Alb ratio (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.61, p < 0.001), tumor size (HR = 2.45, p = 0.018), and extrahepatic metastases (HR = 1.93, p = 0.015) as independent predictors of OS. For PFS, significant factors included Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (HR = 1.55, p = 0.033) and macrovascular invasion (HR = 1.48, p = 0.046). Patients with higher CRP/Alb ratios were more likely to experience fever and fatigue. The CRP/Alb ratio demonstrated significantly higher AUCs than PLR and SII at 24 months (all p < 0.05) and showed comparable AUCs to CRAFITY score and mGPS at 12, 24, and 36 months.

The CRP/Alb ratio is a valuable prognostic marker for predicting OS and treatment-related adverse events in HCC patients receiving transcatheter intra-arterial therapy combined with MTAs and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. This ratio can be used as a simple and reliable biomarker for assessing prognosis and guiding patient selection in clinical practice.

The albumin-globulin ratio (AGR) influences the development of prostate cancer; however, the relationship between AGR and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has not been reported.

This cross-sectional investigation used comprehensive AGR versus PSA data from men with 40 years of age and older, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2010, spanning 4 investigation cycles, as only these cycles contained complete PSA data. To evaluate the nonlinear relationship between the ARG and PSA level, a regression utilizing smoothed curve fitting (penalized spline approach) and a generalized additive model (GAM) were employed. A two-segment linear regression model was used to conduct threshold effect evaluations. Lastly, subgroup analyses were carried out along with interaction tests.

This study included 5,376 subjects, whose total serum PSA (mean ± standard deviation) was 1.83 ± 3.34, and its level decreased roughly with increasing quartiles of AGR. In the fully-adjusted model, AGR was negatively correlated with the likelihood of PSA, and this relationship persisted across subgroups (trend > 0.05). The PSA was characterized by an "L"-shaped curve with an inflection point. On the left side of the inflection point (K = 1.32), there was a negative relationship between AGR and PSA.

In the United States, among men over 40 years of age without prostate diseases, AGR demonstrated a nonlinear relationship with PSA, negatively correlating when AGR was below 1.32.

Not applicable.

The prognostic significance of the Naples prognostic score (NPS) in colorectal cancer remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate the correlation between the pretreatment NPS and long-term oncological outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.

A comprehensive literature search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, was conducted up to July 1st, 2024. The primary outcomes assessed were survival outcomes. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed during the pooled analysis.

Eight studies including 2571 patients were included. The pooled results indicated that patients in the high NPS group exhibited significantly worse overall survival (HR= 2.08 95%CI: 1.74-2.48; P<0.01; I2 = 0%) and disease-free survival (HR=2.03; 95%CI: 1.49-2.77; P<0.01; I2 = 30%). Notably, the prognostic significance of NPS on both overall survival and disease-free survival was consistent across different geographical regions, tumor stages, and primary treatments examined in this study. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these combined results.

The pretreatment NPS could serve as a valuable biomarker for predicting long-term oncological outcomes in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the seventh most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The low survival rate may be due to late diagnosis and asymptomatic early-stage disease. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. The search for novel prognostic factors is still needed. Two miRNAs, miR-22-3p and miR-885-5p, which show increased expression in PC, were selected for this study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of these miRNAs in the prognosis of PC. Other prognostic factors such as lipase-to-amylase ratio (LAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were also evaluated in this study. This study was conducted in 50 patients previously diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in clinical stage (CS) III and IV. All patients underwent a complete medical history, physical examination, and routine laboratory tests including a complete blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP), CA19-9, lipase, and amylase. Two additional blood samples were taken from each patient to separate plasma and serum. Isolation of miRNA was performed using TRI reagent with cel-miR-39-3p as a spike-in control. Reverse transcription of miRNA was performed using a TaqMan Advanced miRNA cDNA Synthesis Kit. The relative expression levels of miR-22-3p and miR-885-5p were measured using RT-qPCR. Serum hsa-miR-22-3p was detected in 22 cases (44%), while hsa-miR-885-5p was detected in 33 cases (66%). There were no statistically significant differences in serum or plasma miRNA expression levels between patient groups based on clinical stage, gender, or BMI. There were no statistically significant differences in LAR between patients with different CS. For NLR, CRP and CA19-9 thresholds were determined using ROC analysis (6.63, 24.7 mg/L and 4691 U/mL, respectively). Cox's F test for overall survival showed statistically significant differences between groups (p = 0.002 for NLR, p = 0.007 for CRP and p = 0.007 for CA19-9). Utility as prognostic biomarkers was confirmed in univariate and multivariate analysis for CA19-9, CRP, and NLR. The selected miRNAs and LAR were not confirmed as reliable prognostic markers in PC.

Here, a simple, one step, lucrative and green synthesis of Cassia fistula leaf extract inspired antibacterial silver nanoparticles (CF-SNPs) was provided. Characterization of these CF-SNPs were achieved by using various spectroscopic techniques for instance Ultraviolet Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX). The effective antibacterial action of the CF-SNPs was checked against Escherichia coli (E. Coli) DH5-Alpha where MIC was 1.6 nM. Anticancer dynamism of the CF-SNPs was also tested in opposition to skin melanoma, A375 cell lines in which 4.4 nM was IC50. The binding proneness of HSA towards CF-SNPs was investigated by means of UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Time Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Circular Dichroism (CD) Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, and Isothermal Titration Colorimetry (ITC). CD spectroscopy established minor secondary structural exchange of HSA in HSA-CF-SNPs complex. ITC and Time Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy verified the static type quenching mechanism involved in HSA-CF-SNPs complex. The binding constant was 3.45 × 108 M-1 at 298.15K from ITC study. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the interaction was occurred spontaneously by the hydrophilic forces and hydrogen bonding.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Over the years we observed changes in the metabolism of glucose, amino acids, fatty acids (FA) and nucleotides in cancer cells in order to maintain their viability and proliferate. Moreover, as the latest data show, cancer also forces a complete change in the behavior of other tissues. For instance, fat-filled adipocytes are often found in the vicinity of invasive solid human tumors. We investigated the effects of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) on the lipid metabolism of healthy tissue distant from the tumor.

Thyroid tissue was collected from female patients immediately after surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland. Blood samples were collected from PTC patients and healthy volunteers. Real-time PCR assays were performed to analyze the expression of lipogenic genes and a broad panel of FA was determined using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method.

The concentration of lipids was higher in paratumor tissue than in healthy thyroid tissue (p = 0.005). The lipogenic genes tested were significantly increased in paratumor tissue compared to healthy tissue, especially enzymes related to the synthesis of very long-chain saturated and polyunsaturated FAs (VLCSFAs and PUFAs, respectively) (p < 0.001). The FA profile also showed increased levels of C22-C26, VLCSFAs and almost all PUFAs in paratumor tissue (p < 0.05).

Our study suggests that a restructuring of lipid metabolism occurs in the adjacent healthy thyroid gland and that the metabolism of VLCSFAs and PUFAs is higher in the paratumor tissue than in the distant tissue of the healthy thyroid gland.

Existing scoring system's comparative effectiveness in identifying patients with poor prognosis (i.e., <6 months survival) has not been thoroughly explored.

We compared the predictive performance of 8 prognostic scoring systems (Tomita, modified Tokuhashi, modified Bauer, Rades, Oncological Spinal Prognostic Index, Lei, New England Spinal Metastasis Score, and the skeletal oncology research group [SORG] nomogram) with the area under the curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristic curves and evaluated the predictive accuracy for 6-month survival across different primary tumor origins, and 1-month survival. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with 6-month survival.

Six hundred forty one patients with spinal metastasis treated between 1994 and 2022 were included. The SORG nomogram showed best performance with low discriminative power in predicting 6-month survival (AUC [95% confidence interval {CI}]: 0.664 [0.584-0.744]). Logistic regression analysis identified significant factors influencing 6-month survival, including primary cancer type in Lei's classification, preoperative Frankel grades C and D, or grades A and B compared with grade E, preoperative white blood cell, preoperative albumin, and preoperative chemotherapy. For 1-month survival predictions, both the SORG nomogram (AUC [95% CI]: 0.750 [0.648-0.851]) and modified Tokuhashi score (AUC [95% CI]: 0.667 [0.552-0.781]) showed significance, albeit with moderate to low discriminative power.

This study shows that most scoring systems have low discriminative power, with only the SORG nomogram having moderate power for predicting poor prognosis. Recent and future advances in treatment, laboratory markers, and our understanding of tumor biology should be incorporated into prognostic models to improve their accuracy.

Scoping review.

To identify which markers are used as surrogates for malnutrition in metastatic spine disease and which are the most studied outcomes associated with it.

A scoping review was performed by searching the PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases up to July 2022. We searched for articles exploring markers of malnutrition in spine oncology patients including but not limited to albumin, body weight, weight loss, and nutrition indices. A narrative synthesis was performed.

A total of 61 articles reporting on 31,385 patients met inclusion criteria. There were 13 different surrogate markers of nutrition, with the most common being albumin in 67% of studies (n = 41), body weight/BMI in 34% (n = 21), and muscle mass in 28% (n = 17). The most common studied outcomes were survival in 82% (n = 50), complications in 28% (n = 17), and length of stay in 10% (n = 6) of studies. Quality of life and functional outcomes were assessed in 2% (n = 1) and 3% (n = 2) of studies, respectively. Out of 61 studies, 18% (n = 11) found no association between the examined markers and outcome.

Assessment of nutritional status in patients with spinal metastases is fundamental. However, there is lack of a comprehensive and consistent way of assessing malnutrition in oncologic spine patients and therefore inconsistency in its relationship with outcomes. A consensus agreement on the assessment and definition of malnutrition in spine tumor patients is needed.

Postoperative complications (PCs) following total laryngectomy remain a significant challenge, with recent investigations directed toward the impact of nutrition status and vitamin D deficiency.

To elucidate the association between preoperative vitamin D level status, malnutrition risk score, and surgical and survival outcomes in patients with advanced laryngeal cancer following total laryngectomy.

Prospective cohort study.

Sixty-four patients with advanced laryngeal carcinoma treated with total laryngectomy were included in the study. Serum levels of 25(OH) D3 were measured employing a commercial chemiluminescent immunoassay kit, while nutrition status was evaluated using the nutrition risk index (NRI) and Malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST).

The mean serum 25(OH) D level was 37.1 ± 19.4 nmol/L (range 11.0-100.6 nmol/L), with 47% of patients exhibiting vitamin D deficiency and 31% displaying insufficiency. Medium/high MUST score had 53% of patients, and moderate/severe NRI was verified in 48% of patients. Univariate logistic regression analysis identified MUST score, GPS score, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and circulating 25(OH) D levels as predictive for the occurrence of PCs. In multivariate analysis, MUST score and circulating 25(OH) D levels remained significantly associated with PCs. Patients with high nutrition risk had significantly lower two-year OS rates compared to the medium and low nutrition risk groups, respectively (30% vs. 62% and 83%, p = 0.010).

Early identification of malnourished or patients with vitamin D deficiency and those who would benefit from specific nutritional support could be beneficial for minimizing the risk of development of surgical complications and help improve our clinical outcomes.

Neutrophils interact with tumor cells, potentially exacerbating cancer progression. Additionally, decreased albumin levels are a marker of poor cancer prognosis. The neutrophil-percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) has been used for prognostic assessment in non-cancerous diseases, but its relationship with mortality risk in cancer patients has not been explored. Therefore, we utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to investigate the correlation between NPAR and the risks of all-cause mortality and cancer-related mortality among cancer patients.

This study leveraged comprehensive NHANES data spanning 2005-2016. We analyzed the relationship between NPAR and the risks of cancer incidence, all-cause mortality, and cancer-related mortality using weighted Logistic and Cox regression models, as well as trend tests. Restricted cubic spline analysis was employed to investigate NPAR's nonlinear relationship with mortality risk. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was utilized to assess patient prognoses across varying NPAR levels.

Elevated NPAR was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and cancer-related mortality in cancer patients (p < 0.05), with higher NPAR values correlating with greater risk (p-trend < 0.05). However, no significant association between NPAR and cancer incidence was observed (p > 0.05). Our analysis further identified a non-linear relationship between NPAR and all-cause mortality risk (p-nonlinear < 0.05), while no non-linear relationship was found with cancer-related mortality risk. The relationship is characterized by an optimal NPAR value, correlating with the lowest hazard ratio (HR). Deviations from this optimal NPAR result in increased all-cause mortality risk (p < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated superior survival rates in patients with lower NPAR values compared to those with higher NPAR values (p < 0.05).

According to our study, higher NPAR was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and cancer-related mortality in cancer patients.