Prognostic value of basal neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Purpose: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocytopenia are markers of poor prognosis in lung cancer patients. The aim of this trial is evaluate the prognostic significance of basal NLR, PLR and lymphocytopenia in patients with extensive stage (ES) small cell lung cancer(SCLC).

Materials and Methods: This study was designed as a hospital-based retrospective observational case-series study. A total of 117 patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer have been treated at four different oncology centers in Turkey between 2011 and 2017. Laboratory results and demographic data were collected.

Results: The median follow-up time was 12 months and 95 (81%) patients died. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated, respectively, as 8 and 13 months. 65 (55.6 %) patients had complete response at the end of first line platin-etoposide combination treatment. The cut-off value for NLR and PLR were determined for whole group and patients were dichotomized into high (>= 3.28) and low (<3.28) NLR groups and high (>= 139.8) and low (< 139.8) PLR groups.. Median OS was lower in patients who had high neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (14 versus 12 months respectively).

Conclusion: This study showed that basal NLR may have prognostic biological value in patients with ES SCLC treated with cisplatin + etoposide.