KEY TAKEAWAYS
- This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the CONUT score for patients with HNC.
- Results revealed that a high CONUT score is significantly associated with poor OS and DFS in patients with HNC.
The CONUT score is a simple and cost-effective tool for assessing nutritional status, which is known to influence cancer prognosis. While some studies have investigated the CONUT score in head and neck cancer (HNC), the findings have been inconsistent, prompting this meta-analysis.
Yanyan Wang and the team aimed to evaluate the prognostic accuracy of the CONUT score in predicting overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with HNC.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationship between CONUT score and HNC prognosis. They calculated pooled HRs and 95% CIs to assess the effect of CONUT score on OS and DFS. They also investigated the correlation between CONUT score and clinicopathological features using combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. A fixed-effects model was used due to non-significant heterogeneity.
About 8 studies, including 1,478 patients, were included in the analysis.The results demonstrated a significant association between a high CONUT score and poor OS (HR= 1.94, 95% CI= 1.55-2.44, P< 0.001) and DFS (HR= 1.93, 95% CI= 1.45-2.56, P< 0.001).
Furthermore, a higher CONUT score correlated significantly with advanced T stage (T3-T4) (OR= 3.21, 95% CI= 1.94-5.31, P< 0.001) and N stage (N1-N3) (OR= 3.10, 95% CI= 1.74-5.53, P< 0.001).
This meta-analysis suggested that the CONUT score is a valuable prognostic indicator for patients with HNC. A high CONUT score is strongly associated with worse OS and DFS, as well as advanced tumour stage and lymph node metastasis. The CONUT score, being readily available and cost-effective, can be a promising prognostic biomarker for HNC.
No funding was provided.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39192261/
Wang Y, Qian C. (2024). “Prognostic and clinicopathological value of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in patients with head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis.” World J Surg Oncol. 2024;22(1):223. Published 2024 Aug 27. doi:10.1186/s12957-024-03505-3
