title: [Value of the palliative prognostic index, controlling nutritional status, and prognostic nutritional index for objective evaluation during transition from chemotherapy to palliative care in cases of advanced or recurrent gastrointestinal cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether objective evaluation by using the palliative prognostic index(PPI), controlling nutritional status(COUNT), and prognostic nutritional index(PNI)can provide prognostic information during the transition from chemotherapy to palliative care in patients with advanced or recurrent gastrointestinal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 28 patients with gastrointestinal cancer who died of their disease between January 2009 and June 2012. We compared the PPI, COUNT, and PNI scores between patients who died within 90 days of completing chemotherapy(Group A, n=14)and patients who survived for 90 or more days(Group B, n=14).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PPI score for Group A(4.0)was significantly higher than that for Group B(0.8)(p<0.001). The COUNT score was also significantly higher for Group A(6.3)than for Group B (3.9)(p=0.033). A significant difference in survival was evident when the cutoff value for PNI was set at 40 in the critical region(68/118, p=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that the PPI, COUNT, and PNI may be useful for objective evaluation during the transition from chemotherapy to palliative care.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery,Chitose City Hospital.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Annen
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawamukai
authors.forename: Noritomo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onuma
authors.forename: Mayu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawashima
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010166:Palliative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents