This study investigates the prognostic significance of Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte, Platelet (HALP) score and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) in metastatic head and neck cancers. Retrospective analysis was conducted on data obtained from January 2014 to June 2022 for 68 patients using rigorous statistical methods. HALP and PNI scores, derived from routine laboratory parameters, were categorized into low and high groups using respective median values. Prognostic significance was determined through Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression using IBM SPSS Statistics. Of the 68 patients (80.9% male, median age 57), 39 (57.4%) had laryngeal cancer. When stratified by low and high HALP scores, the median overall survival (OS) was 5.9 and 16.4 months, respectively (P < 0.001), while the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.7 months and 8.2 months, respectively (P: 0.016). In the low and high PNI score groups, the median OS was 7 and 13.2 months (P < 0.001), with median PFS of 5.6 months and 8.2 months (P: 0.002), respectively. In the multivariate analysis, while the HALP score did not reach statistical significance in terms of PFS, the PNI score and age groups were found to be statistically significant. In terms of OS, higher HALP score and PNI scores were significantly associated with longer OS. In this study, the HALP score and PNI score were found to be a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic head and neck cancer.

Is sarcopenia effective on survival in patients with metastatic gastric cancer?

Background and objectives: Malnutrition is a common problem among cancer patients, significantly impacting clinical outcomes and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and its associated factors in geriatric cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Materials and methods: This prospective study included 471 patients aged 65 years and older, conducted at Ankara Etlik City Hospital between January and December 2023. Patients’ demographic, clinical, and nutritional statuses were assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Nutritional status was classified as normal (MNA ≥ 24), at risk of malnutrition (MNA 17–23.5), and malnourished (MNA < 17). Depression and insomnia were evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), respectively. Factors associated with malnutrition were analyzed statistically.Results: Malnutrition was identified in 20.5% of the patients. Malnutrition was significantly associated with radiotherapy (p = 0.001), surgical history (p = 0.001), adjuvant therapy (p = 0.002), metastatic disease (p = 0.011), low BMI (p < 0.001), high depression scores (p < 0.001), moderate-to-severe insomnia (p < 0.001), and the presence of comorbidities (p = 0.022). However, no significant association was found between pain and malnutrition (p = 0.07).Conclusion: This study highlights the multifactorial nature of malnutrition in geriatric cancer patients and emphasizes the importance of regular nutritional assessments using validated tools like MNA. Early detection and intervention can improve clinical outcomes and quality of life. However, the study has certain limitations, including being single-center, the use of self-reported measures, and the exclusion of palliative patients, which may affect the generalizability of the results.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the hemoglobin–albumin–lymphocyte–platelet (HALP) score—a marker reflecting both inflammatory and nutritional status—in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing immunotherapy. We also sought to determine whether dynamic changes in the HALP score during treatment could predict therapeutic success and help distinguish between pseudoprogression and hyperprogression. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 160 patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC and treated with immunotherapy at the Ankara Atatürk Sanatorium Training and Research Hospital. Chemotherapy regimens, metastatic sites, baseline and third-month hemograms and biochemistry parameters, and survival data were recorded. Survival outcomes were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards regression model using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results: The median overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 15 months (95% CI: 11.88–18.12). HALP1 score (p = 0.048), HALP2 score (p = 0.026), and hyperprogression (p < 0.001) were statistically significant predictors of OS. Regarding progression-free survival (PFS), the HALP2 score (p = 0.031), line of immunotherapy (p = 0.046), and hyperprogression (p < 0.001) were found to be significant. When comparing patients with increasing versus decreasing HALP scores, those with increasing HALP scores demonstrated significantly better outcomes for both OS (p = 0.034) and PFS (p = 0.007). Conclusions: In patients with metastatic NSCLC undergoing immunotherapy, the HALP score and its dynamic alterations during treatment appear to be non-invasive, easily calculable biomarkers that may predict both OS and PFS.

Aim: Hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer which represents the most common subgroup of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Recently, further subclassification for HER2-negative tumors has emerged as HER2-low. There is limited knowledge regarding the effect of HER2-low expression on outcomes of patients with HR-positive and HER2-negative MBC treated with CDK 4/6 inhibitors plus hormonal therapy. Therefore, we evaluated survival parameters according to HER2-low status for this patient group in this study. Material and Methods: As the Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) Project, retrospectively collected data from 423 patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative MBC treated with ribociclib and palbociclib plus letrozole therapy was assessed. Included patients had metastatic first-line therapy and endocrine-sensitive disease. Survival outcomes were compared between HER2-negative and HER2-low patient groups. Conclusion: HER2-low status had no statistically significant impact on survival in patients treated with palbociclib or ribociclib plus letrozole.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of depression and its associations, rather than causal relationships, in patients aged 65 years and older receiving chemotherapy, using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).Methods: This prospective study was conducted between January 2023 and December 2023 at Ankara Etlik City Hospital, including 501 chemotherapy patients aged 65 years and older. Patients receiving only oral therapy, those under palliative care, those with brain metastases, or those with insufficient cognitive functionality were excluded. Demographic and clinical data were collected from medical records. Depression was assessed using the 15-item Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), with scores ≥5 indicating high depression symptoms.Results: Among the 501 patients included in the study, 204 (40.7%) were female, with a median age of 69 years (range: 65–84 years). A total of 214 patients (42.7%) had high depressive symptom scores (GDS ≥ 5). A multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the following as independent predictors of depression: being female (odds ratio (OR): 1.481, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.011–2.168, p = 0.04), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 21 (OR: 1.665, 95% CI: 1.081–2.564, p = 0.02), higher pain scores (OR: 1.269, 95% CI: 1.122–1.436, p < 0.001), insomnia (OR: 1.626, 95% CI: 1.109–2.384, p = 0.01), and weak social support (OR: 2.004, 95% CI: 1.046–3.839, p = 0.03).Conclusion: Our study highlights the high prevalence of depressive symptoms among geriatric cancer patients. In this population, early diagnosis and management of depression, with particular attention to independent risk factors such as pain and insomnia, as well as strengthening social support mechanisms, may be crucial for enhancing quality of life and improving treatment adherence.