title: Value of the prognostic nutritional index and weight loss in predicting metastasis and long-term mortality in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the influence of the progonistic nutritional index (PNI) and weight loss on metastasis and long-term mortality in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 694 newly diagnosed patients with non-disseminated, biopsy-proven NPC. Survival analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of PNI and weight loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analysis demonstrated that a low pre-therapy PNI (< 55.0) was an independent predictor of poor overall survival (OS) (P = 0.012), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (P = 0.011) and progression-free survival (P = 0.012). High weight loss (HWL, weight loss during treatment ≥10 %) was an independent predictor of poor OS (P = 0.001) and DMFS (P = 0.014). Advanced stage disease, female gender, chemotherapy, high white blood cell count, high serum globulin concentration and pre-therapy body-mass index were predictors of HWL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-therapy PNI and weight loss have significant predictive value for metastasis and mortality in patients with NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, No. 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. duxj@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, No. 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. tangll@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Ling-Long
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, No. 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. maoyp@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Yan-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, No. 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. guorui@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, No. 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. sunying@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China. linaihua@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ai-Hua
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, No. 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. majun2@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult