Objectives: The prognostic significance of the ABO blood type in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) receiving nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (AG) remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic significance of the ABO blood type in patients with APC receiving AG.
Methods: From January 2015 to May 2023, 90 patients with APC received AG as first-line chemotherapy at Higashiosaka City Medical Center. We analyzed overall survival (OS) based on the ABO blood type using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test, and we retrospectively compared patient characteristics between those with the blood type associated with the worst OS and those with other blood types. Prognostic factors were assessed using Cox regression.
Results: The median OS in the B blood type group was significantly shorter (5.0 months) than that in the non-B blood type group (9.6 months, P = 0.012). Patients in the B blood type group had a significantly higher prevalence of sarcopenia than those in the non-B blood type group (P = 0.011). However, the AG treatment response, progression-free survival during AG, and residual survival with subsequent anti-cancer treatment after AG did not significantly differ between the two groups. The multivariate analysis revealed that the B blood type was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor of OS.
Conclusions: Patients with the B blood type had a markedly poorer prognosis and a higher prevalence of sarcopenia. Patients who have APC with the B blood type may require additional supportive treatment for sarcopenia.