EORTC index

The EORTC index was also developed retrospectively using the characteristics of 181 patients from five phase II clinical trials of chemotherapy during a 9-year period.[5][Level of evidence C1] In a multivariate analysis, the following characteristics were associated with poorer survival:

Patients were allocated a numerical prognostic score based on each of these variables (+0.55 if WBC >8.3 × 109/L, +0.60 if ECOG PS ≥1, +0.52 if unconfirmed histology, and +0.60 if male sex). Subsequently, patients were classified into two prognostic groups that included low-risk patients with a prognostic score of 1.27 or lower (0–2 risk factors) and high-risk patients with a prognostic score higher than 1.27 (3–5 risk factors). High-risk patients had a relative risk of death of 2.9 compared with low-risk patients (P < .001). The 1-year survival rate was 40% for the low-risk group compared with 12% for the high-risk group.