Prognostic Significance of Plasma Soluble IL-6 Receptor in Carbon-ion Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Background/aim: For patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), carbon-ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) can safely deliver higher doses than conventional photon therapy, increasing the potential for long-term survival. However, achieving meaningful improvements in survival rates requires reliable prognostic biomarkers to identify patients likely to benefit from treatment.

Patients and methods: In this study, we measured plasma levels of soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) before C-ion RT and examined their association with the risk of distant metastasis (DM), local recurrence (LR), and overall survival (OS).

Results: Results showed that patients with higher plasma sIL-6R levels had a lower risk of DM [hazard ratio (HR)=0.53; p=0.033] and improved OS (HR=0.55; p=0.037). No significant association was observed between LR and plasma sIL-6R levels (HR=1.47; p=0.273).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that pretreatment plasma sIL-6R levels may serve as a prognostic marker for C-ion RT in LAPC.

Keywords: Pancreatic cancer; carbon-ion radiation therapy; soluble IL-6 receptor.