Volume 51, Issue 7 pp. 796-802
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Role of the prognostic nutritional index in predicting survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with regorafenib

Margherita Rimini

Margherita Rimini

Division of Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Modena, Modena, Italy

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Changoon Yoo

Changoon Yoo

Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

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Sara Lonardi

Sara Lonardi

Early Phase Clinical Trial Unit, Department of Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy

Medical Oncology Unit 1, Department of Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy

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Gianluca Masi

Gianluca Masi

Unit of Medical Oncology, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy

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Fabio Piscaglia

Fabio Piscaglia

Division of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

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Hyung-Don Kim

Hyung-Don Kim

Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

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Mario D. Rizzato

Mario D. Rizzato

Medical Oncology Unit 1, Department of Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy

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Francesca Salani

Francesca Salani

Unit of Medical Oncology, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy

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Luca Ielasi

Luca Ielasi

Division of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

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Antonella Forgione

Antonella Forgione

Division of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

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Yeonghak Bang

Yeonghak Bang

Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

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Caterina Soldà

Caterina Soldà

Medical Oncology Unit 1, Department of Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy

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Silvia Catanese

Silvia Catanese

Unit of Medical Oncology, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy

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Vito Sansone

Vito Sansone

Division of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

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Min-Hee Ryu

Min-Hee Ryu

Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

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Baek-Yeol Ryoo

Baek-Yeol Ryoo

Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

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Valentina Burgio

Valentina Burgio

Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Hospital, Milan, Italy

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Alessandro Cucchetti

Alessandro Cucchetti

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences-DIMEC, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Department of Surgery, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy

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Stefano Cascinu

Stefano Cascinu

Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Hospital, Milan, Italy

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy

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Andrea Casadei-Gardini

Corresponding Author

Andrea Casadei-Gardini

Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Hospital, Milan, Italy

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy

Correspondence

Andrea Casadei-Gardini, Università Vita-Salute; San Raffaele Hospital-IRCCS, via Olgettina 70 20132 Milano, Italy.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 18 May 2021
Citations: 3

[Correction added on 05 July 2021, after first online publication: Spelling of the author ‘Casadei-Gardini’ has been corrected.]

Abstract

Aim

A link has been established between malnutrition, immunological status, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been recognized as a prognostic indicator in early-stage HCC and in patients treated with first-line therapy. However, to date, the role of the PNI in HCC patients treated with regorafenib has not been reported.

Methods

We undertook a multicentric analysis on a cohort of 284 patients affected by advanced HCC treated with regorafenib. The PNI was calculated as follows: 10 × serum albumin concentration (g/dl) + 0.005 × peripheral lymphocyte count (number/mm3). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the association between PNI and survival outcomes.

Results

A PNI cut-off value of 44.45 was calculated by a receiver operating characteristic analysis. The median overall survival was 12.8 and 7.8 months for patients with high (>44.45) and low (≤44.45) PNI, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–0.77; p = 0.0002). In the univariate and multivariate analyses, low PNI value and increased serum bilirubin level emerged as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. No differences were found between high and low PNI in terms of progression-free survival (p = 0.14).

Conclusion

If validated, the PNI could represent an easy-to-use prognostic tool able to guide the clinical decision-making process in HCC patients treated with regorafenib.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

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