Background and purpose: Onodera’s prognostic nutrition index is calculated by the numbers of serum albumin and peripheral blood lymphocytes

which can predict the prognosis of patients with advanced cancers

including lung cancer

esophageal cancer

gastric cancer

renal cancer

colorectal cancer and liver cancer. However

there are few studies on its correlation with adverse effects of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This study aimed to explore the association between Onodera’s prognostic nutrition index and adverse effects in unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Methods: Data of 42 good-nourishment (Onodera index≥45) patients and 38 poor-nourishment (Onodera index＜45) patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy were collected. Correlations between Onodera index and the adverse effects were analyzed

including leukopenia

thrombocytopenia

nausea

vomiting

esophagitis

diarrhea and pneumonia. Results: The incidence of esophagitis (68.4% vs 45.2%

P=0.045) and diarrhea (15.8% vs 2.4%

P=0.034) were significantly higher in poor-nourishment group than in good-nourishment group. We further analyzed the difference in severe adverse effects between the two groups. There was a trend that the incidence of severe esophagitis was higher in poor-nourishment group than in good-nourishment group (34.2% vs 16.7%). However

no statistically significant difference was found (P=0.070). Conclusion: Onodera’s prognostic nutrition index has a good predictive effect on the adverse effects in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.