Modified-Nutrition Index is a Significant Prognostic Factor for the Overall Survival of the Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients who Undergo Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To explore whether the modified-nutrition index (m-NI) is a prognostic factor for the overall survival (OS) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients who undergo intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods: Clinical data were prospectively collected from NPC patients who underwent IMRT at our hospital between October 2008 and December 2014. The patient nutritional status before radiotherapy was evaluated using the m-NI, based on eight nutrition indicators including body mass index, arm muscle circumference, albumin, total lymphocyte count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, serum pre-albumin, and transferrin. The independent prognostic value of m-NI for the OS was evaluated. Results: A total of 323 patients (229 males, 94 females) were included in this study, and the follow-up rate was 99.7% (322/323). The 1-, 3-, and 5-yr OS rates between malnutrition and normal nutrition groups by using the m-NI were 93.0% vs. 96.9%, 76.4% vs. 82.8%, and 61.8% vs. 77.1%, respectively. A regression analysis showed that the m-NI was the significant prognostic value for the OS in NPC. Conclusions: The m-NI before radiotherapy is a significant prognostic factor for the OS in NPC patients. Further validation of our instrument is needed in other NPC patients.

Funding

The study is sponsored by the Medical Elite Cultivation Program of Fujian, P.R.C. (Grant No. 2015-ZQN-ZD-19).

Conflict of Interest

None declared.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human subjects were in accordance with the ethical standards of relevant institutional review boards for human research at Fujian Medical University and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.