Inflammatory and Nutritional Biomarkers in Patients With Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between pretreatment inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy (nCRT).

Sample & setting: 213 patients with newly diagnosed stage II-III ESCC who received nCRT at an academic hospital in Taiwan.

Methods & variables: Electronic health record data were used. Records on inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers and clinical outcomes were extracted. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict treatment-related adverse events, Cox regression was used for survival outcomes, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff values.

Results: There was a significant association between low prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and nCRT toxicities and survival. Advanced cancer stage, high platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and occurrence of pneumonia/infection were linked to survival outcomes.

Implications for nursing: PNI shows promise in predicting prognosis, helps identify high-risk patients, and enables nurses to apply tailored interventions.