Preoperative prognostic nutritional index as a predictor of outcomes in elderly patients after surgery for lung cancer

Abstract

Background and objective

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is based on the serum albumin level and lymphocyte count, and is a useful predictor of survival in various cancers. However, the utility of PNI in lung cancer has not been examined. The aim of this study is to assess PNI as a prognostic factor in elderly patients after surgery for primary lung cancer.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed in 131 elderly patients (≥75 years old) with lung cancer who underwent curative operations at our hospital from July 2008 to December 2014. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. The effects of PNI and clinicopathological factors on survival were evaluated in univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.

Results

The 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of patients with PNI ≥ 45 and <45 were 76.2% and 47.8%, respectively (P = 0.0166), and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 61.9% and 39.8%, respectively (P = 0.0275). Among patients who died within 5 years, mortality due to other diseases was 31%. Univariate analysis identified gender (P = 0.003), serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (P = 0.009), PNI (P = 0.027), c-stage (P = 0.005), histological type (P = 0.001) and p-stage (P < 0.001) as prognostic factors. In multivariate analysis, CEA (HR 2.487, P = 0.0169), PNI (HR 2.737, P = 0.0289) and p-stage (HR 3.294, P = 0.007) were independent prognostic factors in elderly patients after curative surgery for lung cancer.

Conclusions

CEA, PNI and p-stage are independent prognostic factors in elderly patients after surgery for primary lung cancer. Therefore, determination of preoperative PNI may be useful for treatment planning in elderly patients with lung cancer.

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