Abstract 368P
Background
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is known for its aggressive behavior and poor outcomes. Elevated interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, were observed in PDAC patients, correlating with increased disease severity. This research investigates the role of baseline serum IL-6 as a prognostic indicator in patients with advanced PDAC.
Methods
IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor α (sIL-6Rα) were derived from pre-treatment serum samples isolated using ELISA kit from 77 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The optimal cutoff value for 6-month survival regarding IL-6 and the IL-6:sIL-6Rα ratio was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to obtain median overall survival (mOS), and hazard ratio was estimated using a stratified Cox regression model.
Results
Higher serum IL-6 levels were significantly associated with poorly differentiated histology (p = 0.004), higher tumor burden (p = 0.025), and low baseline albumin level (p = 0.006). Based on each cutoff, the entire cohort was divided into groups of low IL-6 (49 patients) and high IL-6 (28 patients), or low IL-6:sIL-6Rα (43 patients) and high IL-6:sIL-6Rα (34 patients). At a median follow-up of 9.28 months, the mOS was 13.3 months in the low IL-6 group, compared with 3.63 months in the high IL-6 group (HR = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.18–0.60; p < 0.0001). Similarly, in the groups divided by the IL-6:sIL-6Rα ratio, the low group had a better OS outcome than the high group (HR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.18–0.56; p < 0.0001). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.12 months in the low IL-6 group compared with 2.07 months in the high IL-6 group (HR = 0.26; 95% CI, 0.12–0.58; p < 0.0001). A significant difference in PFS was also observed between the two groups divided according to the IL-6:sIL-6Rα ratio (HR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.17–0.63; p < 0.0001). In the multivariate analysis for OS, IL-6 levels (HR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.27–4.20; p = 0.006) were significantly associated with a worse prognosis, along with older age and a higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio.
Conclusions
The serum-derived IL-6 levels were associated with rapid disease progression and short-term mortality in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.