Prognostic Value of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective The purpose of this review was to collate evidence on the prognostic ability of the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) for predicting overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The datasets of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar were searched up to 24 May 2022 for English-language studies reporting the association between GNRI and OS or DFS in NSCLC patients. Results Eleven studies with 2865 patients were included. We noted that low GNRI was a significant predictor of poor OS (HR: 1.96 95% CI 1.66, 2.30 I-2 = 0% p < 0.00001) and poor DFS (HR: 1.74 95% CI: 1.36, 2.23 I-2 = 34% p < 0.0001) in NSCLC patients. The results did not change on sensitivity analysis. There was no evidence of publication bias. Most results were significant on subgroup analysis based on study location, tumor stage, therapy type, sample size, and GNRI cut-off. Conclusion Data indicate that GNRI has good prognostic ability in patients with NSCLC. Individuals with low GNRI are at an increased risk of poor OS and DFS. GNRI could be incorporated as a simple, easy-to-use tool for the initial stratification of patients thereby allowing focused treatment plans.