Clinical Report: Association of Prognostic Nutritional Index with Survival Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Overview

This study evaluates the prognostic significance of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Low PNI is associated with increased mortality and reduced overall survival compared to high PNI, while NLR and PLR do not show significant prognostic value.

Background

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a complex hematological malignancy with a heterogeneous clinical course, necessitating reliable prognostic markers for patient stratification. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), along with inflammatory markers like NLR and PLR, has been explored for its potential to predict survival outcomes in various cancers, including MM.

Data Highlights

Key Findings

• Low PNI (≤34.7) was found in 39.2% of patients.
• Patients with low PNI had a significantly higher mortality rate compared to those with high PNI (76.3% vs. 50%, p = 0.02).
• The median overall survival for the low PNI group was significantly shorter at 13.5 months compared to 53.3 months for the high PNI group (p = 0.007).
• No significant differences in median overall survival were observed between low and high PLR or NLR groups.
• High beta-2 microglobulin levels were associated with a 3.19-fold increased risk of death (p = 0.048).

Clinical Implications

The findings indicate that PNI may serve as a prognostic marker in newly diagnosed MM patients.

Conclusion

Low PNI at diagnosis is associated with increased mortality and reduced overall survival in MM patients, while NLR and PLR do not demonstrate significant prognostic value in this cohort.

Related Resources & Content

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2. Gastric Cancer, 2019 -- The Role of Inflammatory and Nutritional Biomarkers in Predicting Survival Outcomes for Gastric Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and D2 Lymphadenectomy
3. Frontiers in Oncology, 2026 -- Prognostic Evaluation Using Nutrition-Inflammation Biomarkers from Routine Blood Tests in Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Boruta Algorithm-Optimized Feature Selection Study
4. Revised International Staging System for Multiple Myeloma: A Report From International Myeloma Working Group | Journal of Clinical Oncology
5. Prognostic and clinicopathological value of prognostic nutritional index in patients with multiple myeloma: a meta-analysis - PMC
6. Prognostic role of neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio in multiple myeloma: a dose–response meta-analysis - PMC
7. Determining the Ideal Preoperative Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio Cutoff and Its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer Patients
8. Revised International Staging System for Multiple Myeloma: A Report From International Myeloma Working Group | Journal of Clinical Oncology
9. Prognostic and clinicopathological value of prognostic nutritional index in patients with multiple myeloma: a meta-analysis - PMC
10. Prognostic role of neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio in multiple myeloma: a dose–response meta-analysis - PMC