Purpose: Advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) has been shown to predict overall survival (OS) in advanced non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and operable NSCLC. However, there were no studies of the correlation between ALI and operable SCLC. Therefore, this study is aimed to explore the relationship between ALI and the prognosis of operable SCLC.
Patients and Methods: A total of 48 patients with SCLC who underwent surgery at Hebei General Hospital and Zigong First People’s Hospital were screened between 2016 and 2020. ALI was calculated as follows: body mass index (BMI, kg/m²)×serum albumin (ALB, g/dL)/neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cutoff value of ALI. Patients were divided into two groups according to the cutoff point of ALI: low ALI group with ALI< 48.2 and high ALI group with ALI≥ 48.2. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis were performed to assess the potential prognostic factors associated with OS.
Results: The optimal cutoff value of ALI was determined as 48.2. The low ALI group displayed more adverse clinical characteristics and poorer survival rates. Multivariate analysis revealed that ALI and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) were significantly correlated with OS.
Conclusion: Low ALI was correlated with poor prognosis in patients with SCLC who underwent surgery. Preoperative ALI might serve as a potential prognostic marker for patients with operable SCLC.
Keywords: ALI, SCLC, surgery, prognosis