Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the significance of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score as a predictor for survival outcomes for non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 325 patients who received surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma between 2010 and 2012 at Peking University First Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups according to the optimal cut-off value of CONUT score. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used for survival analysis according to different CONUT groups. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to assess the prognostic value of clinicopathological parameters for overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) respectively.
Results: The optimal cut-off value of CONUT score was 3. High CONUT score significantly correlated to higher tumor grade (P<0.001), later pathological T stage (P<0.001) and tumor necrosis (P<0.001). Patients with higher CONUT score had worse OS (HR 5.34, 95% CI 2.29-12.46, P<0.001), CSS (HR 5.51, 95% CI 2.12-14.33, P<0.001) and DFS (HR 4.23, 95% CI 2.16-8.29, P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, high CONUT score was an independent risk factor for OS, CSS and DFS (OS: HR=3.36, 95% CI 1.73-6.56, P<0.001; CSS: HR=3.34, 95% CI 1.59-6.98, P=0.001; DFS: HR=1.85, ]95% CI 1.07-3.21, P=0.029).
Conclusion: Preoperative CONUT score was an independent prognostic factor for OS, CSS and DFS in non-metastatic RCC patients treated with surgery.
Keywords: CONUT score; biomarker; renal cell carcinoma; surgery; survival.