Pan-immune-inflammation value in lung cancer: prognostic significance and implications for therapeutic guidance - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION

Lung cancer is a major global health issue with high variability in incidence and mortality. However, reliable predictive biomarkers for lung cancer prognosis remain lacking. The pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) has emerged as a promising prognostic tool by reflecting systemic immune and inflammatory responses.

METHODS

A meta-analysis was performed using data from Web of Science, PubMed, and PMC up to April 2025. Clinical studies involving lung cancer patients reporting hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were included.

RESULTS

A total of eleven articles met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 3,290 lung cancer patients. High PIV levels were consistently associated with poorer OS (HR = 2.364, 95% CI = 2.033-2.749, P < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 1.975, 95% CI = 1.704-2.290, P < 0.001). Notably, PIV predicted both OS and PFS outcomes across various treatment strategies, including PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy (OS: HR = 2.372, 95% CI = 1.867-3.013, P < 0.001; PFS: HR = 1.830, 95% CI = 1.494-2.241, P < 0.001). Additionally, subgroup analyses showed that PIV's prognostic value remained consistent across different lung cancer types, analytical methods, PIV cutoff values, sample sizes, study regions, and follow-up durations (P < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of these findings, with minimal heterogeneity across studies.

CONCLUSION

PIV is a robust prognostic marker for lung cancer, reliably predicting both OS and PFS. It offers valuable insights across various treatment strategies, including immunotherapy, and could enhance clinical decision-making by providing a cost-effective and reliable tool for evaluating patient prognosis.