Pretreatment Glasgow prognostic score and prognostic nutritional index predict overall survival of patients with advanced small cell lung cancer

Background Various biomarkers have been shown to predict prognosis in various types of cancers. However, these biomarkers have not been studied in advanced small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) is based on serum albumin level and C-reactive protein (CRP). The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a combination of serum albumin level and absolute lymphocyte count. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of mGPS and PNI in SCLC. Methods We retrospectively reviewed and calculated mGPS and PNI for patients with stage IIIB or IV SCLC who initiated platinum-based combination chemotherapy between November 2007 and June 2016. We compared overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between high and low groups of these two biomarkers. Univariate and multivariate Cox hazard analyses assessed the prognostic value of these biomarkers. Results We reviewed 97 SCLC patients. The OS of patients with mGPS 0-1 and higher PNI was significantly longer than that of those with mGPS 2 and lower PNI. The PFS of mGPS 0-1 was significantly longer than that of mGPS 2, while there was no significant difference in PFS according to PNI. Multivariate analyses found mGPS 0-1 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-4.31, P<0.01) and higher PNI (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.31-0.78, P<0.01) as prognostic factors for longer OS. However, neither biomarker was predictive of PFS. Conclusion Our study was a small retrospective study; however, the data demonstrate that pretreatment mGPS and PNI are independent predictors of OS in patients with advanced SCLC. The pretreatment assessment of mGPS and PNI may be useful for identification of patients with poor prognosis. We recommend pretreatment measurement of serum albumin, C-reactive protein, and absolute lymphocyte count.