Faculty Collaboration Database

Interleukin-6 but not tumour necrosis factor-alpha predicts survival in patients with advanced cancer. Support Care Cancer 2013 Nov;21(11):3071-7

Date

07/06/2013

Pubmed ID

23828393

DOI

10.1007/s00520-013-1878-4

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84885572117 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   38 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the survival of patients with advanced cancer.

METHODS: In this prospective cohort study between three hospice and palliative care centres in South Korea, we followed 98 advanced cancer patients until death or the end of the study. Approximately 60 % of the patients had poor functional status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ≥3). We investigated the symptoms of cancer cachexia anorexia syndrome, possible cytokine-related confounders such as infection and medication records. Influence from clinical variables was adjusted using the Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS: The median survival time was 27 days. On multivariate analysis, elevated IL-6 (hazard ratio, 2.139; p = 0.003) was found to be an independent significant prognostic factor. TNF-α was not a significant factor. Poor performance status and male gender were also independently related to shortened survival.

CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 level can be a useful indicator of survival time of patients with advanced cancer at the very end of life. In contrast, the prognostic role of TNF-α requires further study.

Author List

Suh SY, Choi YS, Yeom CH, Kwak SM, Yoon HM, Kim DG, Koh SJ, Park J, Lee MA, Lee YJ, Seo AR, Ahn HY, Yim E

Author

Eunji Yim MD Assistant Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Anorexia
Cachexia
Female
Hospices
Humans
Interleukin-6
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms
Palliative Care
Predictive Value of Tests
Prognosis
Proportional Hazards Models
Prospective Studies
Republic of Korea
Risk Factors
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha