Published in:
01-06-2010 | ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Baseline Ratio of Neutrophils to Lymphocytes is Associated with Patient Prognosis in Rectal Carcinoma
Published in: Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer | Issue 2/2010
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Objective
In cancer patients, the balance between neutrophil (N) and lymphocyte (L) cell counts fluctuates with advancing disease. The objective of our study was to determine the prognostic implications of the N/L ratio in the peripheral blood of rectal cancer patients.
Methods
Study participants were identified from a prospective cohort of patients with rectal cancer in Dalian of China (n = 123).
Results
The median baseline N/L ratio was 2.41 ± 2.206 (range, 0.76–20.45). Our results revealed that the N/L ratio was significantly associated with tumor size (P = 0.003) and level of cancer antigen 125 (P = 0.027). A multivariate Cox model established a significant relationship between the N/L ratio and survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.615; 95% confidence interval, 1.152–5.933; P = 0.021).
Conclusions
These results suggest that the N/L ratio is an independent prognostic factor in rectal cancer, and the N/L ratio may serve as a clinically accessible and useful biomarker for patient survival.