Inflammatory biomarker correlations and prognosis in high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

Abstract

Background: The accurate prognosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) has garnered substantial attention, yet a gap persists in understanding the influence of inflammatory markers on the prognosis of high-risk GIST patients. This study investigated the relationship between various factors and the prognosis of high-risk GIST patients, with a specific focus on first recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) as crucial prognostic indicators.

Methods: A comprehensive collection of clinical data was conducted on 145 high-risk GIST patients meeting specific inclusion and exclusion criteria at 17 medical centers in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, covering the period from January 2013 to December 2019. Single-factor analysis and survival curves were used to analyze the variables, while the Cox regression model evaluated independent prognostic factors.

Results: Within the cohort, a balanced male-to-female ratio of 1:1.1 was observed. Univariate analysis revealed compelling associations between RFS and age, preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), preoperative systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI), mitotic index, and whether or not imatinib (IM) was taken regularly in high-risk GIST patients (P < 0.05). Except age, these other variables were also significantly correlated with OS (P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that age, preoperative PNI, mitotic index and postoperative IM adjuvant therapy independently affected RFS (P < 0.05). In addition, preoperative PNI and postoperative IM adjuvant therapy were also independent factors of OS, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Age was negatively correlated with RFS, and early routine IM treatment after operation significantly reduced the risk of recurrence and death. Higher mitotic index is closely related to poor RFS, and higher preoperative PNI indicates a better prognosis.

Conclusion: A close correlation between young age, low preoperative PNI, high mitotic index, and lack of IM treatment had an unfavorable prognosis in high-risk GIST patients. Notably, the PNI was identified as a potential additional prognostic factor, enhancing the accuracy of predicting treatment efficacy and patient outcomes in high-risk patients with GISTs. Therefore, we advocate for the serious consideration of the PNI as a valuable addition to standard clinical practice for managing high-risk GIST patients.