Muscle loss and pentraxin-3 as predictors of immunotherapy outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective study
Muscle loss alone—even without weakness—predicts worse immunotherapy outcomes in lung cancer, with a blood protein offering potential monitoring for at-risk patients.
This prospective study of 41 advanced NSCLC patients on first-line immunotherapy demonstrates that pre-sarcopenia—reduced muscle mass alone without strength or physical performance impairment—predicts inferior OS and PFS, extending prior retrospective findings to a prospective design. Plasma proteomics identifies pentraxin-3 as a novel biomarker mechanistically linking sarcopenia to adverse immunotherapy outcomes, offering a potential blood-based monitoring target.
What the study was
- Study design
- Prospective cohort study
- Population
- Advanced NSCLC patients receiving first-line ICI therapy; enrolled Oct 2019 - Aug 2022
- Sample size
- 41
- Category
- Diagnostics
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
Why it surfaced
First prospective data showing pre-sarcopenia (not just sarcopenia) predicts ICI outcomes; pentraxin-3 is a novel, measurable blood biomarker; small N but prospective design distinguishes this from prior retrospective literature
A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.