Miyata T, et al. - This study sought to determine the value of controlling nutritional status (CONUT) as a postoperative prognostic marker in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) following curative hepatectomy. Authors identified CONUT as useful for the preoperative assessment of prognosis in these patients.

Methods

• 71 patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for ICC between May 2002 and November 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.
• Authors divided patients into two groups in accordance to their preoperative CONUT score (i.e., CONUT ≥ 2 or CONUT < 2).

Results

• In this study, the number of patients assigned to the normal, mild, moderate, or severe malnutrition groups was 40, 28, two, and one, respectively.
• The high CONUT group (CONUT ≥2) was comprised of 31 patients (43.7%) and indicated a poor prognosis with regard to overall survival (OS) (p = 0.0149).
• Findings suggested a high CONUT score as one of the independent predictors of poor prognosis in OS (hazard ratio 3.02; 95% confidence interval 1.4–6.8; p = 0.007).
• However, in the current study, a high CONUT score seemed to have no association with postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo classification ≥ III or more).