A Longitudinal Examination of Nutritional-Inflammatory Biomarker Associations With Cancer-Related Cognition, Treatment Side Effects, and Quality of Life in Newly Diagnosed Older Adults Undergoing Chemotherapy
April 2025
in “
Cancer Research
”
TLDR Certain blood markers can help predict and manage chemotherapy side effects in older cancer patients.
This study investigated the associations between nutritional-inflammatory biomarkers (NPAR, NLR, PLR, MLR) and cognitive function, treatment side effects, and quality of life in 144 newly diagnosed older adults undergoing chemotherapy. Significant associations were found between these biomarkers and cognitive impairment, emotional distress, and various chemotherapy-related symptoms such as hair loss, numbness, and nausea. The findings suggest that these easily obtainable lab ratios could serve as valuable prognostic tools for assessing and potentially mitigating treatment-related effects in high-risk cancer patients.