Prognostic impact of preoperative Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in oral squamous cell carcinoma

To investigate the prognostic impact of preoperative Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) values in older adults undergoing radical surgery for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

This retrospective study included 61 patients ≥65 years old with OSCC (43 men, 18 women; age: 72.1 ± 5.4 years) who underwent radical surgery between 2013 and 2020. Factors influencing overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were examined.

Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the optimal GNRI value for classifying patients into low-GNRI (<93.7; OS: n = 19 [31.1%], DFS: n = 42 [68.9%]) and high-GNRI groups (≥93.7; OS, n = 19 [31.1%]; DFS, n = 42 [68.9%]) was 93.7. OS and DFS rates were significantly lower in the low-GNRI group than in the high-GNRI group. Univariate analysis indicated that alcohol use, preoperative serum C-reactive protein level, lymphatic invasion, postoperative treatment, and GNRI were significantly correlated with OS, while lymphatic invasion, postoperative treatment, and GNRI were significantly correlated with DFS. In multivariate analysis, only GNRI was significantly correlated with OS. DFS and postoperative treatment were independent predictors of DFS.

Preoperative GNRI may be a significant prognostic factor in older adults with OSCC. GNRI assessment and nutritional intervention may improve prognosis in patients at high nutritional risk.