title: Preoperative Nutritional Risk Index to predict postoperative survival time in primary liver cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We designed this study to determine the predictive value of Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) for postoperative survival time of patients who had undergone hepatectomy for primary liver cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 620 patients who underwent hepatectomy for primary liver cancer (PLC) in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China from December 1, 2008 to December 1, 2012 were followed up. A nutritional risk index (NRI) was used to screen the patients with malnutrition (NRI<or=100). At the same time, the prognosis and survival of the patients were recorded. Kaplan-Meier curve with log-rank test was used to analyze the relationship between malnutrition and prognosis of the subjects. Also the postoperative survival time and its influencing factors were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cumulative survival probability at 1, 3, and 5 years of the 620 subjects was 49%, 33% and 29% respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test showed that non-malnourished (NRI values>100) patients had longer postoperative survival time compared with malnourished patients. NRI values>100 was sig-nificantly associated with longer postoperative survival time. Cox proportional hazards model showed that NRI was an independent predictor of postoperative survival time and that NRI varied inversely with the risk of death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients with NRI values>100 survived longer than those with NRI values<or=100.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Yacong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Mingjie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepotobiliary Surgery, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Wolde
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bekalo
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Weiquan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, PR China. Email: lqjnutr@zzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Quanjun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss