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Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Posted: Thursday, February 1, 2024
Based on recent evidence, splenomegaly, low preoperative splenic density, and large splenic volume may negatively impact the outcomes of patients being treated for various cancers. A group of researchers aimed to assess the potential correlation between the preoperative splenic area measured on CT scans and the overall survival of patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Zhenhui Li, MD, PhD, of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, China, and colleagues reported their findings in the journal Cancer Imaging.
“Preoperative CT measurements of the splenic area serve as a prognostic indicator for early-stage NSCLC patients, offering a novel metric with potential implications for personalized therapeutic strategies in top-tier oncology research,” the investigators concluded.
The research team created a retrospective discovery cohort and a validation cohort consisting of patients with NSCLC who underwent resection and preoperative CT scans. These patients were then divided into two groups based on whether their preoperative splenic area was normal or abnormal. The team then analyzed the correlation between the splenic area and the overall survival of patients.
In total, the study analyzed 2,532 patients. Those in the discovery cohort with a normal splenic area had a 6% higher 5-year overall survival than those with an abnormal splenic area, and a similar result was found in the validation cohort. Univariable analysis showed overall survival hazard ratios of 1.08 for patients in the discovery cohort with abnormal splenic areas and 1.59 for those in the validation cohort with abnormal splenic areas. Multivariable analysis demonstrated the abnormal splenic area was independent of shorter overall survival in both cohorts.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
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