Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score as a prognostic marker for gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Abstract Background: The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score, regarded as the effective indicator of patient nutrition, has been demonstrated to be related to prognosis of numerous tumors. Nevertheless, the significance of CONUT for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) remains unclear. This study intended to clarify the association between CONUT and the prognosis of GISTs.Methods: 355 patients with GISTs undergoing surgical resection at our center were retrospectively assessed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to help determine the cut-off value of CONUT score. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed by Kaplan–Meier curve analysis. Prognostic factors for RFS and OS were examined by Cox proportional hazards models.Results: A total of 355 patients were enrolled in this study. Areas under the curve (AUC) were 0.638 for CONUT score, and the cut-off value of CONUT was shown to be three. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that high CONUT score was linked to poorer RFS and OS. Univariate and multivariate analyses ultimately revealed that CONUT was a risk factor for RFS and OS, independent of demographics and clinicopathological tumor characteristics.Conclusions: CONUT score was an effective and novel predictor for prognosis of GIST patients treated with surgery, indicating its potential as a prognostic marker in the overall management.