Background:

The nutritional prognostic index is an immuno-nutritional marker that can be useful as a prognostic factor in gastrointestinal tumors.

Aim:

To evaluate the survival of patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with chemoimmunotherapy according to the nutritional prognostic index, according to clinical-pathological parameters and treatment.

Methods:

A retrospective and observational study was carried out in patients who received gemcitabine-oxaliplatin chemotherapy combined with nimotuzumab (n=118), at the Ameijeiras Hospital, between 2014 and 2019. Survival was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression, for determine independent prognostic factors for survival.

Results:

The selected cut-off point was 40 (52.9% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity) (p=0,019), with an area under the curve of 0,693. For patients with an index less than 40, survival was lower compared to patients with index ≥ 40 (11, 4 months vs. 16, 0 months; p=0,001), with a HR of 1, 7 (1, 13-2, 60; p=0,011). The variables mostly associated with nutritional prognostic index patients with 60 years or less, ECOG 0, body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m² and serum albumin >3,5g/dL (x² < 0, 05). Patients with index ≥ 40 have higher median survival than patients with index < 40 in the selected variables with p < 0, 05, except body mass index.

Conclusions:

This work constitutes the first national report on the use of the nutritional prognostic index as a prognosis of survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.