The Inflammatory-Nutritional Index; assessing nutritional status and prognosis in gastrointestinal and lung cancer patients

• Published in: Nutrición hospitalaria : organo oficial de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición Parenteral y Enteral Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 629 - 634
• Main Authors: Pastore, Carla Alberici, Orlandi, Silvana Paiva, Gonzalez, Maria Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Spain Grupo Arán 01.03.2014; Arán Ediciones, S. L
• Subjects: Aged; Biomarcadores; Caquexia; Estudio longitudinal; Female; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - physiopathology; Humans; Inflammation - physiopathology; Longitudinal Studies; Lung Neoplasms - physiopathology; Male; Malnutrition - etiology; Malnutrition - physiopathology; Marcadores séricos; Middle Aged; Nutrition & Dietetics; Nutritional Status; Prognosis; Caquexia; Longitudinal study; Biomarkers; Serum markers; Cachexia; Biomarcadores; Marcadores séricos; Estudio longitudinal
• ISSN: 1699-5198; 0212-1611; 1699-5198
• DOI: 10.3305/nh.2014.29.3.7195

To evaluate the prognostic capacity of the Inflammatory-Nutritional Index (INI) in gastrointestinal and lung cancer patients. Longitudinal study, including patients from a chemotherapy service in Brazil, between July 2008 and May 2010. INI (Albumin/CRP) and nutritional status (by Subjective Global Assessment - SGA) were evaluated. Risk INI was defined as lower than 0.35. The mean follow-up of survival was 1.6 year. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 11.1™. 74 patients participated in the study, mean age 63.4, most of them male (58%) and presenting gastrointestinal cancer (71%). Malnutrition was identified in 87% of the patients (22% severely malnourished). The mean INI was 2.67 and 54% of the patients had INI levels considered as risk. During the follow-up there were 49 deaths (66%). The median survival time for INI risk patients was significantly shorter than for normal INI ones (p = 0,002). It took 0.78 year for the INI risk subsample to decline 50%, while it took 2.78 year for the normal INI subsample. INI risk and severe malnutrition were independent predictors for poor survival. The INI showed prognostic capacity in this sample and may be a useful tool, based on routinely available blood tests, to assess cancer patients.