Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Brazilian Journal of Oncology 2025; 21
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1808015
THORACIC TUMORS
1814
POSTER PRESENTATION

Prognostic significance of hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Authors

  • Katiane Tostes

  • Tauana Christina Dias

  • Gabriela Karam Rebolho

  • Gabriela Panini Batagelo

  • Isabela Fernandes Rivelli Cardoso

  • Flávio Augusto Ferreira da Silva

  • Pedro Rafael Martins De Marchi

  • Celine Marques Pinheiro

  • Letícia Ferro Leal

  • Lidia Maria Rebolho Batista Arantes

Further Information
 
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    Keywords

    non-small cell lung cancer - immune checkpoint inhibitors - complete blood count - immunotherapy - biomarkers

    Background: Lung cancer is responsible for 1.8 million deaths annually, holding the highest mortality rate among cancers, with 85% of cases being non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has made significant strides by employing monoclonal antibodies to regulate key immune signals. While ICIs have proven more effective than standard second-line chemotherapy, there remains a need for reliable prognostic markers.

    Aim: The study focused on investigating the prognostic significance of complete blood count (CBC) values for NSCLC patients undergoing ICIs therapy.

    Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted for advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs at Barretos Cancer Hospital. Demographic data were collected, and CBC values were analyzed using median values as cutoffs. Primary outcomes of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated using SPSS software.

    Results: The study cohort comprised 105 patients, with adenocarcinoma being the most common histological type (57.0%). Among the patients, 58.0% were male, and 61.0% were diagnosed at stage IV. Within the cohort, 62.9% had a positive PD-L1 status, with 79.9% of these receiving anti-PD-1 treatment. Only 11.0% of the patients were never smokers. The study found significant associations between CBC components before first cycle (baseline) of ICIs treatment and clinical outcomes. Lower levels of hemoglobin (<11.8g/dL; p = 0.038) and hematocrit (<35.7%; p = 0.005) were linked to poorer OS. Furthermore, lower levels of hemoglobin (<11.8g/dL; p = 0.028), and hematocrit (<35.7%; p = 0.012) were linked to poorer PFS.

    Conclusion: Effective management of NSCLC with ICIs remains crucial. CBC values can serve as valuable and cost-effective prognostic biomarkers to guide treatment strategies.

    Corresponding author: Gabriela Panini Batagelo (e-mail: gabrielapaninibatagelo@gmail.com).


     

    No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

    Publication History

    Article published online:
    06 May 2025

    © 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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    Bibliographical Record
    Katiane Tostes, Tauana Christina Dias, Gabriela Karam Rebolho, Gabriela Panini Batagelo, Isabela Fernandes Rivelli Cardoso, Flávio Augusto Ferreira da Silva, Pedro Rafael Martins De Marchi, Celine Marques Pinheiro, Letícia Ferro Leal, Lidia Maria Rebolho Batista Arantes. Prognostic significance of hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Brazilian Journal of Oncology 2025; 21.
    DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1808015
      All articles of this category