To investigate the value of preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in postoperative survival prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Clinical data of 322 HCC patients undergoing radical resection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2006 and December 2009 were retrospectively studied. Among the 322 patients, 286 were males and 36 were females with the age ranging from 21 to 79 years old and the median age of 51 years old. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval had been received. PNI value was calculated according to the examination results 1 week before surgery, then the patients were divided into the high PNI group (n=253) and low PNI group (n=69). The relationship between PNI and postoperative survival time was observed, and the value of preoperative PNI in postoperative survival prognosis was analyzed. The survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test, and the multivariate analysis was conducted using Cox proportional hazards model.

The 1-, 3-, 5-year disease free survival rate was respectively 48.0%, 34.9% and 31.3% in high PNI group, and 33.3%, 15.8% and 11.7% in low PNI group. The disease free survival in high PNI group was significantly better than that in low PNI group (χ²=9.990, P<0.05). The 1-, 3-, 5-year overall survival rate was respectively 72.3%, 49.0% and 42.6% in high PNI group, and 65.2%, 36.2% and 25.9% in low PNI group. The overall survival in high PNI group was significantly better than that in low PNI group (χ²=8.172, P<0.05). The results of the multivariate analysis showed that AFP, tumor number, tumor diameter, portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and PNI were the independent risk factors for disease free survival rate (HR=1.355, 0.783, 2.295, 1.920, 0.710; P<0.05), and tumor number, tumor diameter, PVTT and PNI were the independent risk factors for overall survival rate (HR=0.780, 2.340, 2.013, 0.653; P<0.05).

Preoperative PNI is the independent risk factor for postoperative survival prognosis of HCC patients and can be used as the common index for predicting postoperative survival of HCC patients.