title: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Simple methods to identify colorectal cancer patients at risk of recurrence are needed. This study aimed to determine if neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicts survival in colorectal cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred thirty patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer over a two-year period were identified from a prospectively maintained colorectal cancer database. NLR was calculated from pre-operative full blood counts. In the case of patients who did not undergo surgery, the full blood count from their out-patient visit was used. Known prognostic factors were recorded. Overall and cancer-specific survival were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-operative NLR greater than 5 correlated with overall and cancer-specific survival in univariate analyses. NLR was not independent of Dukes stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-operative NLR may represent a simple method of identifying colorectal cancer patients with a poor prognosis pre-operatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, UK. srwalsh@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goulder
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Justin
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Keeling
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009504:Neutrophils; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology