title: Baseline insulin-like growth factor-I plasma levels, systemic inflammation, weight loss and clinical outcome in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer patients frequently suffer from weight loss and systemic inflammation in the context of advanced disease, which is related to adverse outcome. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is an anabolic molecule implicated in the maintenance of muscle mass and cancer growth. We investigated potential correlations of IGF-I with an inflammatory and weight loss status and with clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline IGF-I plasma levels were measured in 77 patients (66 males, median age 65.5 ± 10.6 years), diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, and were correlated with serum albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, weight loss history, treatment response and overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IGF-I correlated with age (p = 0.01), histologic subtype (p = 0.019), albumin (p < 0.001) and CRP (p < 0.001). In univariate analysis, gender (p = 0.005), smoking status (p = 0.012), albumin (p = 0.034) and IGF-I (p = 0.017) were related to time to progression, while IGF-I (p = 0.003), gender (p = 0.049) and smoking status (p = 0.003) retained their significance in multivariate analysis. Age (p = 0.005), gender (p = 0.029), weight loss (p = 0.009), performance status (p < 0.001), number of metastatic sites (p = 0.004), albumin (p = 0.008), CRP (p = 0.022) and IGF-I (p = 0.042) were associated with overall survival, although only gender (p = 0.013), weight loss (p = 0.027), performance status (p = 0.015) and number of metastatic sites (p = 0.021) emerged as independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IGF-I correlates with systemic inflammation and seems to play an independent predictive role in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital of Larissa, University of Thessaly School of Medicine, Larissa, Greece.
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Vlachostergios
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Gioulbasanis
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Kamposioras
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Georgoulias
authors: V E
authors: VE
authors: Baracos
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ghosh
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Maragouli
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Georgoulias
authors: C N
authors: CN
authors: Papandreou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I