The prognostic value of adding systemic inflammation response index to Epstein-Barr virus DNA in childhood nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A real-world study

Background: To assess the prognostic value of the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) combined with plasma load of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in children and adolescents with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (CALANPC).

Methods: A total of 205 consecutive patients with CALANPC were enrolled. We used recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) to classify patients into various risk groups, with a primary endpoint of overall survival (OS).

Results: Elevated SIRI (≥1.53) and EBV DNA (≥4000 copy/ml) were significantly associated with inferior OS in CALANPC. RPA categorized patients into low- and high-risk groups based on prognostic factors. Survival curves showed excellent discrimination in OS (95.3% vs 77.6%; p < 0.001) between the low- and high-risk groups. A significant improvement was confirmed using the prognostic methods for conventional TNM staging systems (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The combination of SIRI with EBV DNA provided a more detailed understanding of patient risks, and enhanced risk discrimination in CALANPC.