Cachexia index as a prognostic predictor after resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

AIM: This study was performed to investigate the relationship between the preoperative cachexia index (CXI) and long‐term outcomes in patients who have undergone radical resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: In total, 144 patients who underwent pancreatic resection for treatment of PDAC were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between the CXI and the patients' long‐term outcomes after PDAC resection was investigated. The CXI was calculated based on the preoperative skeletal muscle index, serum albumin level, and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio. After propensity‐score matching, we compared clinicopathological features and outcomes. RESULTS: The multivariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–3.23; P = 0.0118), R1 resection (HR, 57.20; 95% CI, 9.39–348.30; P < 0.0001), and a low CXI (HR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.27–3.46; P = 0.0038) were independent and significant predictors of disease‐free survival (DFS) after PDAC resection. Moreover, a low CXI (HR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.71–5.75; P = 0.0002) was an independent and significant predictor of overall survival (OS) after PDAC resection. After propensity‐score matching, the low CXI group had a significantly worse prognosis than the high CXI group for both DFS and OS. CONCLUSION: The CXI can be a useful prognostic factor for DFS and OS after pancreatic resection for treatment of PDAC.