Prognostic significance of nutritional indices in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Although patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) often show malnutrition, its effects on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment outcomes in these patients are unclear.

Objectives: To investigate the prognostic influence of nutritional indices in patients with HNSCC treated with ICIs and determine the optimal indices.

Methods: This retrospective study included 106 patients with HNSCC treated with ICIs between 2017 and 2022. The prognostic influences of body mass index (BMI), geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox-regression models.

Results: The 1-year PFS rates in the groups with high and low BMI, GNRI, and PNI were, respectively, 24.2% and 28.4% ( = .731), 29.7% and 14.4% ( = .024), and 30.3% and 13.9% ( = .015). PNI was an independent prognostic factor for both PFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-3.29) and OS (HR = 3.26; 95% CI, 1.66-6.40).

Conclusions: PNI can predict ICI outcomes and should be assessed when ICI treatment is considered.