Prognostic Significance of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio, Lymphocyte to Monocyte Ratio, and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Haifeng Li,Weiming Zhong,Huihui Wu,Aiying Lu,Minzhong Tang,Jianquan Gao,Ningjiang Ou,Jun Li,Yuming Zheng,Yonglin Cai

doi:10.1155/2017/3047802

Haifeng Li, Weiming Zhong + Show 8 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3047802

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Abstract

The peripheral blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been reported to correlate with the prognosis of many malignancies. This study evaluated the prognostic value of pretreatment NLR, LMR, and PLR in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A retrospective analysis of clinical and pathological data of 140 NPC patients without distant metastasis during initial treatment was conducted to identify correlations between NLR, LMR, and PLR and clinicopathological features, overall survival, and progression-free survival. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to reveal the independent factors affecting the prognosis of NPC patients. NLR was associated with T staging, N staging, and overall clinical stage grouping of the NPC patients (P < 0.05). NLR ≥ 2.28, LMR < 2.26, and PLR ≥ 174 were significantly associated with a relatively short overall survival (P < 0.05). In addition, NLR ≥ 2.28 was significantly associated with a relatively short progression-free survival (P < 0.05). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that NLR was an independent prognostic factor in NPC. Pretreatment NLR, LMR, and PLR might be a useful complement to TNM staging in the prognostic assessment of NPC patients.

Highlights

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common head and neck cancers in Southeast Asia, with a high incidence in the provinces of Southern China [1,2,3]
This study evaluated the correlations between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and clinicopathological features of NPC for the evaluation of their prognostic value in NPC patients
The results showed that NLR was an independent prognostic factor of Overall survival (OS) and Progression-free survival (PFS) in NPC patients; in addition, T staging was an independent prognostic factor of OS (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common head and neck cancers in Southeast Asia, with a high incidence in the provinces of Southern China [1,2,3]. Identification of prognosis-related biological markers may be an effective complement to TNM staging for the prognostic assessment of NPC patients. Recent studies have shown that systemic inflammation promotes tumor progression and metastasis via the inhibition of apoptosis, promotion of angiogenesis, and damaging of DNA [5]. Hematological indices for these systemic inflammatory conditions, such as leukocyte count, monocyte count, platelet count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), have been found to be independent prognostic factors for patients with non-small cell lung cancer [6], gastric cancer [7], and breast cancer [8]. This study evaluated the correlations between NLR, LMR, and PLR and clinicopathological features of NPC for the evaluation of their prognostic value in NPC patients

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Discussion

I-II III-IVa

Conclusion