Prognostic nutritional Index: A tool to predict the biological aggressiveness of gastric carcinoma

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is calculated based on the serum albumin concentration and the peripheral blood lymphocyte count, has been used to assess the immunological and nutritional condition of patients with digestive diseases. However, its value as an indicator of aggressiveness in gastric carcinoma has not been fully investigated. Two hundred and forty-eight cases of gastric carcinoma were studied with regard to the relationship between the preoperative PNI value and the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients. A lower preoperative PNI value significantly correlated with greater tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic permeation, and venous invasion. Moreover, the PNI value proved to be an independent prognostic indicator in gastric carcinoma. The PNI value can be a useful tool to predict the prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoma.