The prognostic impact of perioperative dynamic changes in cachexia index in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background The cachexia index (CXI), which consists of skeletal muscle, inflammation, and nutritional status, has been associated with prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We hypothesized that dynamic changes in CXI might be associated with long‐term outcomes in HCC. Methods This study comprised 131 patients who had undergone primary hepatic resection for HCC between 2008 and 2019. Preoperative CXI (pre‐CXI) and postoperative CXI (post‐CXI) were calculated by the following formula: skeletal muscle index x serum albumin level / neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio. Pre‐ and post‐CXI were classified into two groups (high vs. low). We retrospectively investigated the association of perioperative dynamic changes in CXI with disease‐free and overall survival. Results In multivariate analyses, negative HBs‐antigen (p = 0.02), high serum PIVKA‐II level (p