Prognostic significance of pre-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Abstract

172 Background: The prognosis for esophageal cancer remains poor despite advances in therapeutic modalities. Elevations of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been shown to be associated with poorer prognosis in several types of solid cancer. However, their prognostic value remains controversial in esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of NLR and PLR in esophageal and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the database of 77 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and potentially curative resection for esophageal cancer in our institute, between July 2006 and December 2011. NLR and PLR were calculated from laboratory data obtained prior to the start of chemoradiation. The predictive value of NLR and PLR was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models for an association with pathologic response to chemoradiation, relapse-free survival, and overall survival. Results: A total of 77 patients were identified with a median age at diagnosis of 62.5 years. In univariate analysis, neither NLR nor PLR were shown to be significantly associated with the pathologic response (p = 0.87, p = 0.89, respectively), relapse-free survival (p = 0.5, p = 0.4, respectively), or overall survival (p = 0.55, p = 0.44, respectively). Conclusions: The present study failed to confirm NLR and PLR as significant predictors of pathologic response to chemoradiation, relapse-free survival, and overall survival in patients with locally advanced esophageal and GEJ cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation and surgical resection.