Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and its association with survival after complete resection in non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Increasing neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios on preoperative blood tests have been associated with worse survival after resection of colorectal cancer. We sought to determine factors associated with increasing neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios and the stage-adjusted prognostic effect in patients undergoing resection for non-small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing complete resection for non-small cell lung cancer between 1999 and 2005. Data acquisition was through patient medical records, blood results recorded on admission before surgical intervention, and follow-up by National Health Service database searches and hospital records. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the effect of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio on stage-adjusted survival.


RESULTS
During the study period, 178 patients underwent pulmonary resection. Of 177 patients, the majority were male 104 (59%), with a mean age of 63 years (standard deviation, 10 years). The median follow-up time was 29 months (interquartile range, 8-56 months), and overall survival was 83% and 54% at 1 and 5 years, respectively. Higher stage was the only factor found to be associated with increasing neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios (P = .019). Total white cell count (P = .990) and neutrophil count (P = .490), age (P = .290), and cell type (P = .490) were not significant predictors of mortality. On multivariable analysis after adjusting for stage, increasing neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios (hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.17; P = .004) remained an independent prognostic indicator.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing preoperative neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios are associated with higher stage but remain an independent predictor of survival after complete resection for primary lung cancer and are a potential biomarker to stratify high risk of death in patients with stage I disease.
Sarraf
Khaled M
KM
Academic Division of Thoracic Surgery, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Belcher
Elizabeth
E
Raevsky
Evgeny
E
Nicholson
Andrew G
AG
Goldstraw
Peter
P
Lim
Eric
E
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009504:Neutrophils; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis