http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3334-3125
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Abstract
Background: Weight loss is frequently observed in pancreatic cancer patients. We aimed to study the prognostic impacts of weight loss early during chemotherapy.
Methods: A total of 72 patients of Chinese ethnicity with unresectable pancreatic cancer who underwent chemotherapy were reviewed. Critical weight loss (CWL) was defined as weight loss ≥ 5% within one month after treatment. The prognostic impact of weight loss and CWL were analyzed.
Results: 47 patients (65.3%) had weight loss after one month of treatment, with 14 (19.4%) suffering from CWL. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients with and without CWL. The median OS and Time-to-treatment-failure (TTF) of patients with CWL were shorter than those without CWL (OS: 4.8 months [CWL] versus [vs.] OS 7.1 months [No CWL]; TTF 1.6 months [CWL] vs. 3.2 months [No CWL]; both P < 0.01). CWL was an independent adverse prognosticator for OS (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 2.50; P = 0.01) and TTF (HR = 2.71; P < 0.01). Other independent prognosticators for OS were serum albumin <35 mg/dl and CA19-9 ≥ 1000 IU/ml, while CWL was the only independent prognosticator for TTF (HR 2.71 [95% CI 1.33–5.52]; P < 0.01).
Conclusions: Development of CWL in early course of chemotherapy was associated with worse prognosis in Chinese patients with unresectable pancreatic cancers.
Disclosure Statement
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest with any institution that has an interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Henry C. Y. Wong
Henry C. Y. Wong, Design of study, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing.
Kwan Y. Lam
Kwan Y. Lam, Data collection, manuscript writing.
Charing C. N. Chong
Charing C.N. Chong, Data collection, manuscript writing.
Anthony W. H. Chan
Anthony W.H. Chan, Data collection, manuscript writing.
Stephen L. Chan
Stephen L. Chan, Design of study, data collection, manuscript writing, coordination, and supervision of study.