Nutrition-immune-inflammation score (NIIS) plays an important role in the prognosis of postoperative external auditory canal carcinoma patients

Abstract

Background External auditory canal carcinoma (EACC) was a rare malignant tumor. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the comprehensive index of nutrition-immune-inflammation score (NIIS) on the prognosis of EACC patients with surgical resection. Methods A total of 45 EACC patients with surgical resection were selected from two tertiary medical institutions, and were diagnosed between July 2012 and May 2018. NIIS was calculated by integrating the values of body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocytes, albumin, and hemoglobin. The relationship between NIIS and prognosis was analyzed by a Log-rank test and displayed by Kaplan-Meier plot. Result The 3- and 5-year survival rate for EACC patients with surgical resection were 70.7%, 61.3% for OS, and 55.6%, 51.1% for PFS, respectively. Most patients with EACC have a nutrition-immune-inflammation score (NIIS) of 4–5 (44.4%). EACC patients with a high score of NIIS tend to have poorer OS (P = 0.001) and PFS (P < 0.001) in comparison with a low score of NIIS. Only a small minority of patients with EACC accept adjuvant radiotherapy (37.8%), and adjuvant chemotherapy (15.6%). Adjuvant radiotherapy had benefit in improving the OS for EACC patients with surgical resection (P = 0.027). However, the adjuvant treatment had no benefit for PFS in postoperative EACC patients (P > 0.05). Conclusion NIIS is an important predictor for predicting the prognosis of EACC patients with surgical resection. Adjuvant radiotherapy was recommended in the application of EACC patients with surgical resection, but not adjuvant chemotherapy. Our findings would have a vital effect on treatment choice and clinical management for both EACC patients and clinicians.