Evaluation of Serum Lipid Profile as a Predictive Biomarker for Survival in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients

Objective: Altered lipid metabolism is increasingly recognized as a hallmark of cancer progression and may serve as a prognostic biomarker.While individual lipid components such as total cholesterol, LDLc, HDLc, and triglyceride have been evaluated in various malignancies, their prognostic relevance in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remains unclear.This study aimed to assess the association between baseline lipid profiles and overall survival (OS) in GI cancer patients. Materials and Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 103 patients with histologically confirmed gastric, colorectal, rectal, or esophageal cancer treated between January 2024 and March 2025.Pre-treatment fasting lipid profiles, including total cholesterol, LDLc, HDLc, and triglyceride, were recorded.Optimal cut-off values were determined by receiver operating characteristic analysis, and OS was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests.Results: At a median follow-up of 22 months, 26 patients (25.2%) had died.Low baseline total cholesterol (<135 mg/dL), LDLc (<76.5 mg/dL), and HDLc (<40 mg/dL) were each significantly associated with reduced median OS (all p<0.01).Triglyceride levels did not significantly correlate with survival (p=0.400).Cancer type, stage, liver metastasis, sex, and diabetes status showed no significant association with OS. Conclusion:Lower baseline total cholesterol, LDLc, and HDLc levels predict worse survival in GI cancer patients, highlighting the prognostic relevance of lipid metabolism.Routine lipid profiling may serve as an accessible tool for risk stratification in oncology.Prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings and explore lipid modulation as a therapeutic adjunct.