Association between the systemic immune inflammation index and recurrence or metastasis after interventional therapy in patients with primary liver cancer- a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: The systemic immune inflammation index has been used to evaluate the prognosis of patients with a variety of malignant tumors. However, studies were limited in primary liver cancer (PLC) patients. This study aimed to investigate the association between the systemic immune inflammation index and recurrence or metastasis after interventional therapy in patients with PLC. METHODS: From January 2016 to December 2017, 272 patients with PLC admitted to the 941st Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force were retrospectively collected. All patients received interventional treatment, there were no residual lesions after interventional treatment. The patients were followed up for 5 years to monitor the rates of recurrence or metastasis. The patients were divided into a recurrence or metastasis group (n=112) and a control group (n=160). The differences in clinical features between the 2 groups were compared, and the predictive value of systemic immune inflammation index on recurrence or metastasis after interventional treatment in patients with PLC was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group (8.12%), the proportion of patients with ≥2 lesions in the recurrence or metastasis group (19.64%) was significantly increased (P=0.005); the proportion of patients with vascular invasion was significantly increased in the recurrence or metastasis group (10.71% vs. 4.38%, P=0.044); albumin decreased significantly in the recurrence or metastasis group (39.69±6.17 vs. 41.69±6.82 g/L, P=0.014); neutrophils (%) were significantly increased in the recurrence or metastasis group (0.70±0.08 vs. 0.64±0.08, P<0.001); lymphocytes (%) were significantly reduced in the recurrence or metastasis group (0.25±0.06 vs. 0.30±0.06, P<0.001); and platelet count was significantly increased in the recurrence or metastasis group (179.22±39.52 vs. 160.81±34.13 10(9)/L, P<0.001). The systemic immune inflammation index was significantly increased in the recurrence or metastasis group (535.23±174.05 vs. 357.84±120.21, P<0.001). Systemic immune inflammation index was valuable in predicting recurrence or metastasis, and the area under the curve was 0.795 (95% CI: 0.742–0.848, P<0.001). Systemic immune inflammation index >405.08 was an independent risk factor of recurrence or metastasis [relative risk (95% CI: 1.878–5.329), P=0.000]. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated systemic immune inflammation index is associated with recurrence or metastasis after interventional therapy in patients with PLC.