Clinical prognostic scores for patients with thymic epithelial tumors

Several inflammation-based prognostic scores emerged in various types of cancer to predict clinical outcomes. So far, no accurate pre-treatment scoring systems exist for patients with thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), comprising thymomas and thymic carcinomas (TCs). Therefore, we sought to test the prognostic value of different clinical composite scores and their components, identify optimal cut-off values for TETs as well as combine predictive components to new suitable prognostic scores. One hundred eighty-four patients with TETs undergoing surgical tumor resection were analyzed. A significant advantage in Freedom-from-Recurrence and/or Cause-specific survival (CSS) was evident for patients with high Advanced-Lung- Cancer-Inflammation-Index, low CRP-Fibrinogen-Score (CFS), low Glasgow-Prognostic-Score (GPS), low high-sensitivity-modified GPS, low TET-adapted GPS (TET-aGPS) and low Systemic-Immune-Inflammation Index. On multivariable analysis high TET-aGPS (HR = 14.9;p = 0.001), incomplete resection status (HR = 13.5;p = 0.001) and TC (HR = 26.0;p = 0.001) were significant independent prognostic factors for worse CSS. The CFS had the highest coefficient of determination (R² = 0.188) to predict tumor recurrence of all composite scores, comprising CRP (R² = 0.141) and fibrinogen (R² = 0.158), the best single factor predictors. Inflammation-based prognostic scores and selected components are suitable to predict survival and/or tumor recurrence in TET patients undergoing primary surgery. Due to excellent long-term survival and frequent tumor recurrence, cut-off values were tailored to increase prognostic power.