Systematic review on the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

Background/Aim: The present study aimed to examine the association of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score with outcomes in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer (EC). Materials and Methods: A systematic literature review was carried out to investigate the impact of the CONUT score in EC. Next, meta-analysis of long-term outcomes was performed. Results: The search found six eligible retrospective studies, and five studies with 952 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis found a significant association of the CONUT score with outcomes including overall survival [hazard ratio (HR)=2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.75-3.60, p<0.001], cancer-specific survival (HR=2.60, 95%CI=1.53-4.41, p<0.001), and recurrence free survival (HR=2.08, 95%CI=1.39-3.12, p<0.001). Conclusion: The CONUT score may be an independent predictor associated with prognosis in patients undergoing esophagectomy for EC. However, further studies are needed to clarify the association of the CONUT score with postoperative outcomes in EC patients.