The Prognostic Significance of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Radiotherapy.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:To investigate the prognostic value of pre-treatment neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed 621 patients who received definitive RT for nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer. An NLR cut-off value of 2.7 was identified using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, with overall survival (OS) as an endpoint. RESULTS:The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and OS for all patients were 62.3% and 72.1%, respectively. The patients with a high NLR (68%) had a significantly lower 5-year PFS and OS than their counterparts with a low NLR (32%) (PFS: 39.2% vs. 75.8%, p < 0.001; OS: 50.9% vs. 83.8%, p < 0.001). In a subgroup analysis according to primary site, a high NLR also correlated with a lower PFS and OS, except in oropharyngeal cancer, where a high NLR only exhibited a trend towards lower survival. In a multivariate analysis, a high NLR remained an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS. CONCLUSION:Head and neck cancer tends to be more aggressive in patients with a high NLR, leading to a poorer outcome after RT. The optimal therapeutic approaches for these patients should be reevaluated, given the unfavorable prognosis.
SUBMITTER: Cho Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6306798 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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