Significance of the modified global leadership initiative on malnutrition (GLIM) criteria malcondition for patients with biliary tract cancer.

Purpose: This study investigated the significance of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) for patients with resected biliary tract cancers.
Methods: The subjects of this retrospective analysis were 114 patients who underwent radical surgery for cholangiocarcinoma between 2018 and 2023. We analyzed both handgrip force and skeletal muscle area and classified patients as having GLIM malnutrition or modified GLIM malcondition. We also evaluated clinicopathological factors, short-term outcomes, and prognoses.
Results: The GLIM criteria identified 47 patients (41.2%) with malnutrition and 13 patients (11.4%) with modified GLIM malcondition. Overall survival (P = 0.009) and recurrence-free survival (P = 0.016) were significantly different between the well-nourished and malnourished patients according to the GLIM criteria. Furthermore, modified GLIM criteria malcondition was a significant prognostic factor for both recurrence-free and overall survival (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified a higher carcinoembryonic antigen level and modified GLIM malcondition as predictors of overall and recurrence-free survival. Pathological stage ≥ III was also a predictor of recurrence-free survival. On comparing the prognoses of modified GLIM malcondition and GLIM malnutrition using the Akaike Information Criteria, the modified GLIM malcondition was identified as a stronger prognostic factor.
Conclusion: A modified GLIM malcondition can be a highly useful prognostic marker for patients with resected biliary tract cancer.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: We have no conflicts of interest to disclose for this research. Ethical approval: This research was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gunma University (HS2023-174), and it conforms to the rules of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent for inclusion in this study was acquired from patients using an opt-out method.
(© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)