The Prognostic Value of the Novel Global Immune-Nutrition-Inflammation Index (GINI) in Stage IIIC Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Abstract

Simple Summary: We investigated the prognostic significance of the newly created Global Immune-Nutrition-Inflammation Index (GINI) in IIIC non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who received definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). A total of 802 newly diagnosed stage IIIC NSCLC patients were included. The optimal pre-CCRT GINI cutoff was 1562 (area under the curve: 76.1%; sensitivity: 72.4%; specificity: 68.2%; Youden index: 0.406). GINI >= 1562 was associated with significantly shorter median locoregional progression-free (p < 0.001), progression-free (p < 0.001), and overall survival (p < 0.001) than GINI < 1562. For each survival endpoint, the association between GINI and survival outcomes appeared independent of other confounding variables (p < 0.05 for each). The novel GINI index effectively stratified patients with stage IIIC NSCLSC into two distinct subgroups, demonstrating significant differences in both median and long-term survival rates.

Background: We sought to determine the prognostic value of the newly developed Global Immune-Nutrition-Inflammation Index (GINI) in patients with stage IIIC non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: This study was conducted on a cohort of 802 newly diagnosed stage IIIC NSCLC patients who underwent CCRT. The novel GINI created first here was defined as follows: GINI = [C-reactive protein x Platelets x Monocytes x Neutrophils] divided by [Albumin x Lymphocytes]. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal pre-CCRT GINI cut-off value that substantially interacts with the locoregional progression-free (LRPFS), progression-free (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: The optimal pre-CCRT GINI cutoff was 1562 (AUC: 76.1%; sensitivity: 72.4%; specificity: 68.2%; Youden index: 0.406). Patients presenting with a GINI >= 1562 had substantially shorter median LRPFS (13.3 vs. 18.4 months; p < 0.001), PFS (10.2 vs. 14.3 months; p < 0.001), and OS (19.1 vs. 37.8 months; p < 0.001) durations than those with a GINI < 1562. Results of the multivariate analysis revealed that the pre-CCRT GINI >= 1562 (vs. <1562), T4 tumor (vs. T3), and receiving only 1 cycle of concurrent chemotherapy (vs. 2-3 cycles) were the factors independently associated with poorer LRPS (p < 0.05 for each), PFS (p < 0.05 for each), and OS (p < 0.05 for each). Conclusion: The newly developed GINI index efficiently divided the stage IIIC NSCLSC patients into two subgroups with substantially different median and long-term survival outcomes.