Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
BACKGROUND: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is related to the prognosis in many cancers; however, its role in esophageal cancer is still controversial. Further, controversy exists concerning the optimal cut-off points for PNI to predict survival. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of PNI and propose the optimal cut-off points for PNI in predicting cancer-specific survival (CSS) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: This retrospective study included 375 patients who underwent esophagectomy for ESCC. The PNI was calculated as 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (per mm(3)). With the help of the fit line on the scatter plot, we classified the patients into three categories according to the PNI, ie, >52, 42-52, and 52 were 11.0%, 39.1%, and 55.2%, respectively (P52, P=0.011; 52, P52.
Feng et al. (2013) studied this question.