Predictive value of a clinical score for overall survival following curative radiotherapy for lung cancer

This study retrospectively calculated the LabPS score (laboratory parameters + performance status) in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-SCLC who were treated with curative radiotherapy. The score was derived from pretreatment laboratory parameters – including hemoglobin level, platelet count, serum lactate dehydrogenase, serum albumin, and serum C-reactive protein – and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS). The primary aim was to investigate the association between the LabPS score and overall survival (OS). The LabPS score was calculated retrospectively by reviewing pretreatment routine complete blood counts, biochemistry results, and ECOG PS of patients diagnosed with lung cancer and treated with radiotherapy. Patients who underwent radiotherapy with curative intent were selected. Patients with metastatic lung cancer and ECOG PS ≥ 3 were excluded. The primary endpoint was determined as OS. When LabPS scores were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, patients were classified into 2 prognostic groups: “favorable” (≤1) and “unfavorable” (>1), with an area under the curve corresponding to a 95% confidence interval: 0.654 to 0.806. Patients were stratified according to both their TNM stage and LabPS score, and survival analyses were subsequently conducted. These analyses demonstrated that patients with early-stage disease and a favorable LabPS score had significantly longer OS. In this study, the LabPS score successfully stratified patients with SCLC and non-SCLC into prognostic groups, demonstrating significant survival differences between the favorable and unfavorable categories. These findings suggest that the LabPS score has potential for survival prediction. Because the LabPS score can be easily calculated using routine laboratory tests in combination with PS, it has the potential to serve as a practical and cost-effective tool in daily oncology practice, pending further validation in larger, prospective cohorts. If validated in future studies, this score may potentially assist in clinical decision-making, including the timing of chemoradiotherapy, radiation dose optimization, and the development of personalized treatment plans.