The cachexia index is a prognostic factor for patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer.

Abstract

Cancer cachexia leads to poor outcomes, especially for patients with advanced stage disease. The cachexia index (CXI), a novel biomarker for cancer cachexia, has been identified as a prognostic indicator for several malignancies. The present study aimed to clarify the prognostic significance of the CXI for patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer. This retrospective study enrolled 113 patients diagnosed with recurrence following pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer, to analyze the association between the CXI and prognostic survival. The 2-year overall survival rate and median survival of all patients were 28.5% and 12.6months, respectively. The 2-year overall survival curve in the high CXI group was significantly better than that in the low CXI group (p < 0.001). The rate of chemotherapy after recurrence was significantly lower in the low CXI group than in the high CXI group (p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis identified the CXI as an independent prognostic factor for patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer (p = 0.011). The CXI proved useful for predicting the post-recurrence prognosis of patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer. Patients with a low CXI at the time of recurrence have poorer prognostic outcomes than those with a high CXI.