Prognostic Significance of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score in Patients with Muscle-Invasive Bladder...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Radical cystectomy is a primary treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
• Nutritional status is increasingly recognized as a factor influencing cancer outcomes.
• The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score assesses nutritional status based on serum albumin, total lymphocyte count, and total cholesterol.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic value of the CONUT score in patients treated with radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
• To determine if the CONUT score impacts cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records from patients undergoing radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
• Patients were stratified into high CONUT (≥3) and low CONUT (<3) groups based on ROC curve analysis.
• Comparison of oncological outcomes and survival between the two CONUT groups.

Main Results:

• Patients in the high CONUT group exhibited significantly lower CSS (p < 0.001) and OS (p = 0.024) compared to the low CONUT group.
• Multivariate analysis identified age (HR: 1.02) and CONUT score (HR: 3.92) as independent predictors of OS.
• A high CONUT score was strongly associated with increased mortality risk.

Conclusions:

• The CONUT score is an independent predictor of survival in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
• Nutritional status, as assessed by the CONUT score, plays a significant role in the prognosis after radical cystectomy.
• The CONUT score can aid in risk stratification and patient management.