The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index is a prognostic marker in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND

The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a nutritional index for elderly patients that is associated with prognosis in cancer patients. We investigated using the GNRI in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to predict prognosis.

METHODS

This study included 419 metastatic colorectal cancer patients who received first-line chemotherapy between February 2005 and December 2020. First, we calculated pre-treatment GNRI and divided the patients into four groups according to the values (G1-G4). We evaluated patient characteristics and overall survival in the four groups.

RESULTS

Overall, 419 patients were included. The median follow-up was 34.4 months. Lower GNRI was positively associated with a lower grade Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (p = 0.009), synchronous metastases (p < 0.001), primary tumor resection prior to chemotherapy (p = 0.006), and did not undergo resection after chemotherapy (p < 0.001). Patients with low GNRI had significantly shorter overall survival than the group with high GNRI (median OS: G1 = 19.3 months [M], G2 = 30.8 M, G3 = 38 M, G4 = 39.7 M; log-rank test, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that GNRI was an independent prognostic factor (G3: HR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.35-0.69; G4: HR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.48-0.93). In the subgroup analysis of overall survival, we found no interaction between clinicopathological factors and the prognostic value of GNRI. Interestingly, younger patients (< 70 years) but not older patients showed a significant difference in overall survival according to GNRI, despite being the metric being designed for elderly patients.

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment GNRI can be a prognostic marker for patients with mCRC who received systemic chemotherapy.