Women's Health

Research Reveals the Role of Overall Health in Ovarian Cancer Prognosis

Lack of nutrition

Lack of nutrition

Additionally, the research team also found that this principle applied less when it came to the group of platinum resistant patients. Because platinum resistant patients are already more likely to not have successful treatment, their PNI levels did not indicate as much of an impact on success rates. Conversely, patients who are platinum sensitive have a better chance of receiving successful treatment since their cells are vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs and therefore their PNI levels are a bigger indicator of whether or not treatment will be successful.

Researchers also noted that patients with ovarian cancer are more likely to be malnourished. 20% of patients with gynecological patients experience malnutrition which can be a contributing factor and even a cause of death. This malnutrition is one of the negative effects of a tumor on a patient’s body. In addition to other conditions that may present in cancer patients, malnutrition is reflected in a patient’s PNI score and further illustrates the role PNI plays as an indicator of a patient’s overall health.