A comprehensive analysis of Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS)/the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) on immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy among patients with advanced cancer

Background The association between Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) and clinical outcomes in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains controversial. Thus, this meta-analysis aimed to examine the prognostic performance of GPS and mGPS in patients treated with ICIs. Methods Eligible studies were retrieved from searches of EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until July 2021. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled by using fixed-effect or random-effects model to evaluate the influence of GPS/mGPS on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results A total of 1164 patients were included. Overall, mGPS score of 2 and 1 were related to inferior OS (p < 0.001) and PFS (p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed no significant association between mGPS score of 1 and OS in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), while this score was significantly associated with poor PFS in patients with NSCLC and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Higher GPS (score of 1 or 2) were associated with poor clinical outcomes (OS: p < 0.001; PFS: p = 0.036). Subgroup analysis showed high GPS levels were linked to worse OS in patients with NSCLC and gastric cancer, but not for PFS in these patients. Regarding test time point, GPS was related to worse OS and PFS in pre-treatment GPS group, but not in post-treatment GPS group. Conclusion GPS and mGPS showed great potential to predict survival in patients treated with ICIs. Large and perspective trial are warranted to further validate these findings.

Automated summary

This meta-analysis found that Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) have the potential to predict overall survival and progression-free survival in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The prognostic performance of these scores may vary among different types of cancer.