Prognostic Value of Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: "A Retrospective Cohort Study"

Abstract

Background: In the past decade, advancements in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) have greatly improved survival; nevertheless, simple biomarkers to predict responsiveness to therapy or survival that seem relevant to all medical oncology settings globally have yet to be developed. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are two simple and generally accessible examples of inflammation markers based on differential white cell counts. Methods: LMR and NLR were evaluated in 69 patients diagnosed with CRC and received different treatment approaches depending on the stage, ECOG, and treatment guidelines. The correlation between LMR and clinical pathology was retrospectively evaluated. The predicted values of NLR and compared the predicted values of LMR and NLR were also assessed. Results: After analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the cut-off level for LMR and NLR was determined to be 2. Out of the total patients, 55 (79.7%) were classified into the high LMR group, while 14 (20.3%) were categorized into the low LMR group. Among the patients, 30 (43.5%) and 39 (56.5%) were grouped into low and high NLR groups, respectively. It was concluded that tumor markers (CEA) (p 0.031), TNM staging (p=0.016), distant metastasis (p=0.014), and disease progression (p=0.038) were significant. NLR was significant in only tumor markers (p=0.014) and tumor location (p=0.046). OS was significant. Conclusion: The results indicate that prior to treatment, both LMR and NLR were significant independent predictors in colon cancer and that incorporating NLR/LMR alongside TNM staging may enhance prognostic evaluation in patients with colon cancer. However, the study was limited by a retrospective methodology and a relatively small sample size. To determine the exact cut-off values for NLR and LMR as prognostic indicators in colorectal cancer, larger-scale prospective studies involving multiple centers will be required.