Prognostic role of body mass index in advanced small bowel adenocarcinoma patients receiving palliative chemotherapy

Abstract

As small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare cancer worldwide, prognostic factors have not been clearly defined. The purpose of this study is to assess the prognostic role of clinicopathologic features, including body mass index (BMI), in patients with advanced SBA. A total of 28 consecutive patients with advanced SBA treated with palliative chemotherapy were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed. Clinicopathologic features, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared according to BMI level. Eighteen patients had BMI < 25kg/m(2) (overweight/normal/underweight in Asian) and ten patients had BMI 25kg/m(2) (obese in Asian). Baseline characteristics were similar regardless of patient's BMI. Compared to patients with BMI < 25kg/m(2), patients with BMI 25kg/m(2) had higher response rate to chemotherapy (40.0% vs. 0%, P = 0.010), longer OS (11.2 vs. 7.0months, P = 0.018) and a tendency toward prolonged PFS (2.1 vs. 1.9months, P = 0.085). Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI 25kg/m(2) is an independent positive prognostic factor of OS (adjusted hazard ratio 0.35, P = 0.024). In conclusion, baseline BMI 25kg/m(2) has a positive prognostic role in patients with advanced SBA.