Abstract
PurposeThe prognostic role of inflammation index like platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in esophageal cancer remains controversial. We evaluated the prognostic significance of PLR in esophageal cancer patients.MethodsWe searched databases to identify relevant literatures. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of PLR in patients with esophageal cancer.ResultsA total of 6,699 patients from 16 studies (17 cohorts) were finally enrolled in the meta-analysis. The results demonstrate that the elevated PLR predicted poorer overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.389, 95% CI: 1.161-1.663) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 1.404, 95% CI: 1.169-1.687) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR: 1.686, 95% CI: 1.146-2.480) in patients with esophageal cancer. Subgroup analysis revealed that the elevated PLR was also associated with poor OS in esophageal cancer treated by surgery (HR: 1.492, 95%CI: 1.149-1.938, P<0.05) and mixed treatment (HR: 1.222, 95%CI: 1.009-1.479, P<0.05). In addition, PLR Cut-off value≤160 (HR: 1.484, 95%CI: 1.088-2.024, P<0.05) and PLR Cut-off value>160 (HR: 1.391, 95%CI: 1.161-1.666, P<0.05).ConclusionThis meta-analysis result suggested that PLR might be a significant predicative biomarker of poor prognosis for esophageal cancer patients.
Highlights
Esophageal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the worldwide [1]
The results demonstrate that the elevated platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) predicted poorer overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.389, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 1.161-1.663) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 1.404, 95% CI: 1.169-1.687) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR: 1.686, 95% CI: 1.146-2.480) in patients with esophageal cancer
Subgroup analysis revealed that the elevated PLR was associated with poor OS in esophageal cancer treated by surgery (HR: 1.492, 95%CI: 1.149-1.938, P
Summary
Esophageal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the worldwide [1]. Despite the research on the treatment of esophageal cancer and the use of increasingly advanced technology in its treatment, the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) are still poor due to the high rate of recurrence and rapid progression [2, 3]. There is an urgent need for us to identify better prognostic biomarkers, especially serum predictive biomarkers, for prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. More and more evidence showed that a systemic inflammatory response could play an important role in the prognosis of various cancers [4-. Various inflammatory factors, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), have been investigated in various types of cancers [8, 9]. Recent studies demonstrated a potential prognostic role of PLR in esophageal cancer patients [13,14,15,16]. Due to the inconsistent results, the current opinion on the prognostic role of PLR in esophageal cancer remains controversial [13, 14, 16]. We conducted a meta-analysis to comprehensively and systematically understand the prognostic value of www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
