ArticleCancer medicine2023
The predictive and prognostic value of weight loss and body composition prior to and during immune checkpoint inhibition in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer patients.
Article in Cancer medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sarcopenia and Survival in Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prognostic Association.Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Pooled it
- Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio for prognostication in immune checkpoint inhibitor-treated cancer patients: a meta-analysis of 13027 patients highlighting nivolumab-responsive renal cell carcinoma.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Pooled it
- The predictive and prognostic role of radiologically defined sarcopenia in head and neck cancer: a systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis.British journal of cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Cancer cachexia reduces the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients.Aging · 2024Pooled it
- Inflammatory markers as prognostic markers in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic indicators in patients with head and neck malignancy treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology · 2023Pooled it
- The Prognostic Effect of Sarcopenia in Solid Cancers Treated with Immunotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- DNA delivered by lipid nanoparticles induces CD8+ T cell-dependent antitumor responses and enhances anti-PD-L1 therapy.JCI insight · 2026Article
- CT Body Composition Changes Predict Survival in Immunotherapy-Treated Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Cancers · 2026Article
- Muscle matters: automated CT-based body composition analysis predicts survival in patients with head and neck cancer treated with immunotherapy.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Article
- Inflammation as a mediator between neck adipose tissue and tumor aggressiveness in hypopharyngeal and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.Cancer imaging : the official publication of the International Cancer Imaging Society · 2025Article
- Weight and Blood-Based Markers of Cachexia Predict Disability, Hospitalization and Worse Survival in Cancer Immunotherapy Patients.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2025Article
- Cancer, malnutrition and inflammatory biomarkers. Why do some cancer patients lose more weight than others?Contemporary oncology (Poznan, Poland) · 2025Article
- Influence of cachexia on immunotherapy efficacy and prognosis for malignant tumors of the digestive system.Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2024Article
- Biomarkers for Predicting Anti-Programmed Cell Death-1 Antibody Treatment Effects in Head and Neck Cancer.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2023Article
- The predictive and prognostic value of weight loss and body composition prior to and during immune checkpoint inhibition in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer patients.Cancer medicine · 2023Article
- Diagnostic Predictors of Immunotherapy Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundResponse rates of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) are low. PATIENTS AND
methodsThis retrospective multicentre cohort study evaluates the predictive and prognostic value of weight loss and changes in body composition prior and during therapy. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics of 98 patients were retrieved, including neutrophil and platelet-lymphocyte-ratio (NLR and PLR). Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was determined on residual material. Cachexia was defined according to Fearon et al. (2011). Skeletal muscle (SM), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were evaluated on computed tomography scans at the third lumbar vertebrae level. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed for 6 months progression free survival (PFS6m) and overall survival (OS).
resultsSignificant early weight loss (>2%) during the first 6 weeks of therapy was shown in 34 patients (35%). This patient subgroup had a significantly higher NLR and PLR at baseline. NLR and PLR were inversely correlated with SM and VAT index. Independent predictors of PFS6m were lower World Health Organization performance status (HR 0.16 [0.04-0.54] p = 0.003), higher baseline SAT index (HR 1.045 [1.02-1.08] p = 0.003), and weight loss <2% (HR 0.85 [0.74-0.98] p = 0.03). Baseline cachexia in combination with >2% early weight loss remained a predictor of OS, independent of PD-L1 expression (HR 2.09 [1.11-3.92] p = 0.02, HR 2.18 [1.13-4.21] p = 0.02).
conclusionWe conclude that the combination of cachexia at baseline and weight loss during ICI therapy is associated with worse OS in R/M HNSCC patients, independent of PD-L1 expression.
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