Meta-analysis of the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

A number of studies have assessed the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but their results regarding the predictive value of NLR in OSCC are inconsistent. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to clarify the association between NLR and clinical outcome in OSCC. We searched the MEDLINE and Web of Science to identify potential studies investigating the association between NLR and survival in OSCC. A total of 10 studies, enrolling 2135 patients with OSCC, were included. A higher NLR was a negative predictor for both disease-specific survival (hazard ratio [HR]=1.93, 95% CI: 1.47-2.54) and overall survival (HR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.28-1.90). This suggests a higher NLR is predictive of a poorer prognosis in OSCC. Because determination of NLR is non-invasive and cost-effective, it could be widely used for predicting prognosis in OSCC.