Characterization of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and high serum interleukin-6 levels.
OBJECTIVE
High serum level of interleukin 6 (IL-6) is associated with high degree of tumor progression and systemic weakness. Anti-IL-6 therapy possibly improves the deterioration of clinical characteristics in patients with high IL-6 level. However, IL-6-related factors in patients with treatment-naive advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) have not been established. The goal of this study was to identify IL-6-related factors in patients with advanced PC who were scheduled to undergo first-line chemotherapy.


METHODS
Patients with treatment-naive advanced PC were eligible for inclusion in this study. Patients who did not receive first-line chemotherapy were excluded. Serum IL-6 levels and clinical parameters were prospectively recorded. Analyses were performed to identify risk factors for high IL-6 levels.


RESULTS
Eighty patients were analyzed. IL-6-related factors were advanced age (P < 0.01), the presence of liver metastasis (P < 0.01), the large volume of liver metastasis (P < 0.01), severe fatigue (P = 0.02), high carcinoembryonic antigen levels (P = 0.02), anemia (P < 0.01), and high C-reactive protein levels (P = 0.02) in multivariate analyses. Decreased skeletal muscle mass tended to be associated with high IL-6 levels.


CONCLUSIONS
High serum IL-6 was related to advanced age, the presence of hepatic metastasis, large tumor burden in liver, severe fatigue, high carcinoembryonic antigen, high C-reactive protein, and anemia in patients with treatment-naive advanced PC.
From the *Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, †Department of Palliative Medicine, and ‡Pathology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa; §Department of Medical Oncology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka; ∥Center for Suicide Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira; and ¶Chugai Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan.
Tomofumi
T
Miura
Shuichi
S
Mitsunaga
Masafumi
M
Ikeda
Satoshi
S
Shimizu
Izumi
I
Ohno
Hideaki
H
Takahashi
Junji
J
Furuse
Masatoshi
M
Inagaki
Sayumi
S
Higashi
Hiroyuki
H
Kato
Kimio
K
Terao
Atsushi
A
Ochiai
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001823:Body Composition; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002100:Cachexia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000556:secondary; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D047368:Tumor Burden; D015854:Up-Regulation
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein