Prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with colorectal cancer.

Abstract

551 Background: Inflammatory response plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cancer. Some evidence has suggested that elevations in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are associated with decreased survival in various types of cancer. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the NLR and PLR in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Between August 1995 and December 2010, medical records from a total of 2,004 patients with CRC were retrospectively reviewed. The values of simple inflammatory markers including NLR and PLR in predicting the long-term outcomes of these patients were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression models. Results: The median follow-up duration was 42 months (interquartile range, 19 – 69). The estimation of NLR and PLR was based on the time of diagnosis. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high NLR ( ≥ 2.6) [hazard ratio (HR) 2.251, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.570-3.228, p < 0.001] and high PLR ( ≥ 155) [HR 1.473, 95% CI 1.019 – 2.128, p = 0.039] were independent risk factors predicting poor overall survival (OS) in CRC patients. Combined high NLR and PLR was also an independent risk factor predicting poor OS in patients with CRC [HR 2.316, 95% CI 1.529 – 3.508, p < 0.001]. Conclusions: In this study, we identified that high NLR ( ≥ 2.6), high PLR ( ≥ 155), and combined high NLR and PLR are useful prognostic factors to predict OS in CRC patients.