Xuechao Liu

Preoperative C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio Predicts Prognosis of Patients after Curative Resection for Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: An elevated preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio has been reported to be associated with a poor prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of the preoperative CRP/Alb ratio and compare it with other systemic inflammatory response markers in patients with gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 455 patients with GC undergoing curative resection. We investigated the correlations between the preoperative CRP/Alb ratio and overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used to assess independent prognostic factors. The area under the curve was used to compare the prognostic value of different markers. RESULTS: On multivariate analysis, the CRP/Alb ratio were independently associated with OS in patients with GC (hazard ratio: 1.626; 95% confidence interval: 1.191-2.219; P = .002), along with age (P = .003), preoperative body weight loss (P = .001), tumor location (P = .008), metastatic lymph node ratio (P < .001), and seventh tumor-nodes-metastasis stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer) (P = .007). However, several other systemic inflammation–based prognostic scores (neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, platelet lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune-inflammation index, Glasgow Prognostic Score, modified Glasgow prognostic score, and high-sensitivity modified Glasgow prognostic score) were not. In addition, the CRP/Alb ratio had a higher area under the curve value (0.625) compared with several other systemic inflammation–based prognostic scores (P < .001). CONCLUSION: The preoperative CRP/Alb ratio, a system inflammation-based prognostic score, is a superior predictor of OS in patients undergoing curative resection for GC and may help to identify the high-risk patients for treatment decisions.

Combined preoperative concentrations of CEA, CA 19-9, and 72-4 for predicting outcomes in patients with gastric cancer after curative resection

In many cancers, prognostic factors are useful for identifying high-risk patients and in individualizing treatment. We sought to determine whether a combination of tumor markers (CTM) would improve prognostic accuracy in patients with gastric cancer (GC). The CTM score, which is derived from serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA 72-4), was tested retrospectively in 1134 patients with GC undergoing curative resection between October 2000 and December 2012. The CTM score was 2 for patients with two or three elevated markers, 1 for those with one elevated marker, and 0 for those no elevated markers. Overall survival (OS) in patients with CTM scores 0, 1, and 2 was 61.8%, 31.4%, and 15.1%, respectively (P<.001). The CTM score independently predicted OS on multivariate analysis (HR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.73 to 2.21; P<.001). Moreover, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of the CTM score (0.67; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.70) was higher than the values of any individual marker (0.63, 0.57, 0.57; P<.001 for all comparisons). The CTM score independently predicted postoperative survival in GC, and it may have better clinical utility than individual tumor markers for identifying high-risk patients with GC.

Nomogram based on systemic inflammatory response markers predicting the survival of patients with resectable gastric cancer after D2 gastrectomy

This study aimed to construct a nomogram to predict survival of patients with resectable gastric cancer (RGC) based on both clinicopathology characteristics and systemic inflammatory response markers (SIRMs). Of 3,452 RGC patients after D2 gastrectomy at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 1058 patients who met the inclusion criterion were analyzed. The patients operated on from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009 were assigned to the training set (817 patients) to establish a nomogram, and the rest (241 patients) were selected as validation set. Based on the training set, seven independent risk factors were selected in the nomogram. The calibration curves for probability of 1-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) showed satisfactory accordance between nomogram prediction and actual observation. When the metastatic lymph node stage (mLNS) is replaced by metastasis lymph node ratio (mLNR) in validation set, the C-index in predicting OS rise from 0.77 to 0.79, higher than that of 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th (AJCC) staging system (0.70; p<0.001). In conclusions, the proposed nomogram which including mLNR and routine detected SIRMs resulted in optimal survival prediction for RGC patients after D2 gastrectomy.

Prognostic value of pretreatment albumin–globulin ratio in predicting long-term mortality in gastric cancer patients who underwent D2 resection

Background Several studies have highlighted the prognostic value of the albumin–globulin ratio (AGR) in various kinds of cancers. Our study was designed to assess whether AGR is associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Patients and methods A total of 507 gastric cancer patients between 2005 and 2012 were included. The AGR was defined as the ratio of serum albumin to nonalbumin and calculated by the equation: albumin/(total protein − albumin). Furthermore, AGR was divided into two groups (low and high) using the X-tile software. Survival analysis stratified by AGR groups was performed. Results The mean survival time for each group was 36.62 months (95% CI: 33.92–39.32) for the low AGR group and 48.95 months (95% CI: 41.93–55.96, P=0.003) for the high AGR group. Patients in the high group (AGR ≥1.93) had a significantly lower 5-year mortality in comparison with the low group (AGR <1.93) (52.4% vs 78.5%, P=0.003). The high AGR group showed obviously better overall survival than the low AGR group according to Kaplan–Meier curves (P=0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that AGR was an independent predictive factor of prognosis in gastric patients. Conclusion Pretreatment AGR is a significant and independent predictive factor of prognosis.

The Effects of Anti-inflammatory Drug Treatment in Gastric Cancer Prevention: an Update of a Meta-analysis.

Gastric cancer has high incidence and fatality rates, making chemoprevention agents necessary. There is an ongoing debate about aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use can significant reduce the risk of GC. We conducted a meta-analysis of existing studies evaluating the association of anti-inflammatory drug and GC. We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, OVID, Cochrane Library and Clincialtrials.gov up to August 31, 2015. Either a fixed-effects or a random-effects model using was based on the result of homogeneity analysis. Subgroup, sensitivity, meta-regression, and publication bias analyses were evaluated. Forty-seven studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. The overall GC risk reduction benefit associated with anti-inflammatory drug use represented an RR of 0.78 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.85) and an adjusted RR of 0.74 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.77). Besides, the prevention benefit of aspirin/NSAIDs ingestion appeared to be confined to those patients with regiment of short or middle-term (≤5 years), high-frequency (>30 times per month) and low dose (<200 mg per day). Further, our data also suggest that COX-2 inhibitors use is a more effective approach in GC prevention (RR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.29-0.70). In this meta-analysis, our finding support short or middle-term (≤5 years), high-frequency (>30 times per month) and low dose (<200 mg per day) aspirin/NSAIDs intake is a well method for GC prevention and also confirm the inverse association between aspirin/NSAIDs use and GC risk. Additionally, selective COX-2 inhibitors use probably a more effective approach to reduce GC risk.

Impact of preoperative anemia on outcomes in patients undergoing curative resection for gastric cancer: a single-institution retrospective analysis of 2163 Chinese patients

We sought to evaluate whether preoperative anemia was an important determinant of survival in gastric cancer (GC). A single institution cohort of 2163 GC patients who underwent curative resection were retrospectively analyzed. Anemia was defined as a preoperative hemoglobin level <120 g/L in males and <110 g/L in females. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was performed to identify the independent prognostic factor. Anemic patients had a poorer OS compared with nonanemic patients after resection for tumor–nodes–metastasis (TNM) stage III tumors (5‐year OS rate: 32.2% vs. 45.7%, P < 0.001) but not stage I (P  =  0.480) or stage II (P  =  0.917) tumors. Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative anemia was an independent prognostic factor in TNM stage III (hazard ratio [HR], 1.771; 95% CI, 1.040–3.015; P = 0.035). In a stage‐stratified analysis, preoperative anemia was still independently associated with OS in TNM stages IIIa through IIIc (P < 0.001, P = 0.075, and P = 0.012, respectively), though the association was only marginal in stage IIIb. Of note, preoperative mild anemia had a similar prognostic value in TNM stage III GC. Furthermore, preoperative anemia was significantly associated with more perioperative transfusions, postoperative complications and several nutritional‐based indices, including the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), preoperative weight loss and performance status (all P < 0.05). Preoperative anemia, even mild anemia, was an important predictor of postoperative survival for TNM stage III GC.

Lymph nodes ratio based nomogram predicts survival of resectable gastric cancer regardless of the number of examined lymph nodes

To develop a nomogram to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients on the basis of metastatic lymph nodes ratio (mLNR), especially in the patients with total number of examined lymph nodes (TLN) less than 15. The nomogram was constructed based on a retrospective database that included 2,205 patients underwent curative resection in Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSUCC). Resectable gastric cancer (RGC) patients underwent curative resection before December 31, 2008 were assigned as the training set (n=1,470) and those between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2012 were selected as the internal validation set (n=735). Additional external validations were also performed separately by an independent data set (n=602) from Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital (JXCH) in Jiangxi, China and a data set (n=3,317) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The Independent risk factors were identified by Multivariate Cox Regression. In the SYSUCC set, TNM (Tumor-node-metastasis) and TRM-based (Tumor-Positive Nodes Ratio-Metastasis) nomograms were constructed respectively. The TNM-based nomogram showed better discrimination than the AJCC-TNM staging system (C-index: 0.73 versus 0.69, p<0.01). When the mLNR was included in the nomogram, the C-index increased to 0.76. Furthermore, the C-index in the TRM-based nomogram was similar between TLN ≥16 (C-index: 0.77) and TLN ≤15 (C-index: 0.75). The discrimination was further ascertained by internal and external validations. We developed and validated a novel TRM-based nomogram that provided more accurate prediction of survival for gastric cancer patients who underwent curative resection, regardless of the number of examined lymph nodes.

Gastric cancer, nutritional status, and outcome

Background We aim to investigate the prognostic value of several nutrition-based indices, including the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), performance status, body mass index, serum albumin, and preoperative body weight loss in patients with gastric cancer (GC). Materials and methods We retrospectively analyzed the records of 1,330 consecutive patients with GC undergoing curative surgery between October 2000 and September 2012. The relationship between nutrition-based indices and overall survival (OS) was examined using Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox regression model. Results Following multivariate analysis, the PNI and preoperative body weight loss were the only nutritional-based indices independently associated with OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.356, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.051–1.748, P=0.019; HR: 1.152, 95% CI: 1.014–1.310, P=0.030, retrospectively). In stage-stratified analysis, multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative body weight loss was identified as an independent prognostic factor only in patients with stage III GC (HR: 1.223, 95% CI: 1.065–1.405, P=0.004), while the prognostic significance of PNI was not significant (all P>0.05). In patients with stage III GC, preoperative body weight loss stratified 5-year OS from 41.1% to 26.5%. When stratified by adjuvant chemotherapy, the prognostic significance of preoperative body weight loss was maintained in patients treated with surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy and in patients treated with surgery alone (P<0.001; P=0.003). Conclusion Preoperative body weight loss is an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with GC, especially in stage III disease. Preoperative body weight loss appears to be a superior predictor of outcome compared with other established nutrition-based indices.

Prognostic Impact of the Signet Ring Cell Type in Node-Negative Gastric Cancer

Little is known regarding the prognostic impact of the signet ring cell (SRC) histotype on negative lymph nodes (LNs) in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we aimed to investigate the differences between SRC and non-SRC GC patients without LN metastasis. The medical records of patients with GC who underwent gastrectomy at Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Centre from 1996 to 2012 were reviewed to analyse the clinicopathologic characteristics associated with survival. A total of 480 cases of GC patients without LN metastasis were identified, which included 90 SRC GC patients and 390 non-SRC GC patients. Between the two groups, there were a host of significant differences in the American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th edition (AJCC) stage. We found that SRC histology was correlated with a poor prognosis in terms of recurrence in node-negative GC patients and that SRC histologic analysis combined with AJCC staging maybe an effectual method for prediction of the recurrence rate. Additionally, we found that SRC GC presents a more dismal overall prognosis in patients with perineural or vascular invasion.

Albumin concentrations plus neutrophil lymphocyte ratios for predicting overall survival after curative resection for gastric cancer

Background In patients with gastric cancer (GC), survival is poor, given the late diagnosis. Risk-stratifying these patients earlier could help improve care. We determined whether combining preoperative albumin concentration and the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (COA-NLR) could predict overall survival (OS) better than other prognostic indexes. Methods We calculated the COA-NLR and other prognostic indexes with data obtained within 1 week before surgery in a retrospective analysis of patients with GC undergoing curative resection between September 2000 and November 2012. Patients with concentrations of hypoalbuminemia above 35 g/L and an NLR value of 2.3 or higher were given a score of 2. Patients with one of these conditions or neither were allocated scores of 1 or 0, respectively. Patients were monitored until July 2014. Results OS in the 873 eligible patients was 44.9% in patients with a COA-NLR score of 0, 29.8% in patients with a score of 1, and 20.3% in patients with a score of 2 (P<0.001). The COA-NLR score was independently associated with OS (hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.63; P=0.002). Moreover, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.62 for the COA-NLR, which was significantly higher (<0.001) than that of the NLR ratio (0.60), the Glasgow prognostic score (0.58), and the platelet lymphocyte ratio (0.54). The COA-NLR was especially accurate for patients with stage I–II GC and the three values (0, 1, and 2) divided patients into subgroups more accurately than did the other indexes (area under the curve value: 0.66, P<0.001). Conclusion The preoperative COA-NLR index is useful for predicting postoperative OS in patients with GC and can be used to guide targeted therapy.