title: Elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predicts survival in advanced pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is linked with worse survival in many malignancies, whereas its association with pancreatic cancer (PC) remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 95 patients with locally advanced or metastatic PC receiving gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. The prognostic value of NLR was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elevated pretreatment NLR (> 5) was observed in 16 out of 89 eligible patients, which was identified as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS). The median OS for patients with elevated and normal NLR were 2.4 months and 7.7 months, respectively (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated NLR is a predictor of shorter survival in patients with advanced PC.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Pei-Rong
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yu-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng-Hua
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: You-Jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Rui-Hua
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wen-Qi
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013534:Survival; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D015415:Biomarkers; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine