Dynamic Prognostic Nutritional Index With Circulating Tumor DNA Predicts Survival in Localized Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Combining nutritional status with tumor DNA in blood predicts pancreatic cancer outcomes better than either measure alone, guiding treatment choices.
In 127 localized PDAC patients, dynamic decline in Prognostic Nutritional Index during neoadjuvant chemotherapy independently predicts worse overall survival, and combination with KRAS ctDNA positivity multiplies mortality risk 3.64-fold. This two-biomarker integration of host vulnerability (PNI) and tumor burden (ctDNA) offers a clinically accessible prognostic tool for treatment stratification in this high-mortality cancer.
What the study was
- Study design
- Prospective biomarker study
- Population
- Localized PDAC patients enrolled in prospective biomarker study (2020-2024), Northwestern University
- Sample size
- 127
- Category
- Early Detection
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- Journal of Surgical Oncology
Why it surfaced
Novel integration of nutritional biomarker (PNI) with ctDNA for PDAC prognostication in a prospective cohort — promising dual biomarker framework. Limited by single-center design and n=127.
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