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Controlling nutritional status score as a survival prognosticator in patients with head and neck cancer

  • 0Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan Yi Zhi +

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April 17, 2025

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April 17, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score effectively predicts survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. A high CONUT score indicates a worse prognosis, aiding in identifying high-risk individuals for better treatment guidance.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Nutritional Science

Background

  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) poses significant treatment challenges.
  • Accurate prognostic markers are crucial for optimizing patient management in HNSCC.
  • Nutritional status is increasingly recognized as a factor influencing cancer outcomes.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To evaluate the prognostic significance of the preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in patients with surgically treated HNSCC.
  • To determine if the CONUT score can independently predict survival outcomes in HNSCC.
  • To develop and validate predictive models incorporating the CONUT score for HNSCC prognosis.

Main Methods

  • Retrospective analysis of 636 HNSCC patients who underwent radical surgery (2008-2017).
  • Patients were divided into training (3:1 ratio) and validation cohorts.
  • The CONUT score, calculated from serum albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocyte count, was assessed preoperatively. Survival-related variables were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression.

Main Results

  • A CONUT score cutoff of 2 significantly stratified patients into distinct prognostic groups in both cohorts.
  • High preoperative CONUT score was an independent negative prognosticator for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in both training and validation cohorts.
  • CONUT score-based nomograms demonstrated good predictive accuracy for OS (C-index: 0.778 training, 0.709 validation) and CSS (C-index: 0.830 training, 0.778 validation).

Conclusions

  • The preoperative CONUT score is a valuable prognostic marker for surgically treated HNSCC.
  • Incorporating the CONUT score into nomogram-based risk models can enhance the identification of high-risk HNSCC patients.
  • This prognostic information can effectively guide treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes.

Keywords:

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