The prevalence of cancer associated systemic inflammation: Implications of prognostic studies using the Glasgow Prognostic Score

Abstract

The prognostic importance of SIR in patients with cancer is widely recognised. More recently it has become clear that the systemic inflammatory response is an important etiologic factor in the development of cancer cachexia. Two recent meta-analysis carried out in 2017 and 2018 were interrogated and the number of patients with specific cancer types were identified. The percentage of patients with operable cancer (n>28,000) who were systemically inflamed varied from 21% to 38%. The percentage of patients with inoperable cancer (n>12,000) who were systemically inflamed varied from 29% to 79%. Overall, the percentage of patients (n>40,000) who were systemically inflamed varied from 28% to 63% according to tumour type. The most commonly studied cancer was colorectal cancer (n∼10,000 patients) and 40% were systemically inflamed.

Keywords: Cancer; Glasgow Prognostic Score; Systemic Inflammation; TNM stage; modified Glasgow Prognostic Score.