Elevated serum neutrophil to lymphocyte and platelet to lymphocyte ratios could be useful in lung cancer diagnosis.
BACKGROUND
Lung cancer (LC) is still the primary cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and late diagnosis is a major obstacle to improving lung cancer outcomes. Recently, elevated preoperative or pretreatment neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) detected in peripheral blood were identified as independent prognostic factors associated with poor survival with various cancers, including colon cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and breast cancer.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine whether MPV, NLR and PLR could be useful inflammatory markers to differentiate lung cancer patients from healthy controls. An investigation was also made of the relationship between these markers and other prognostic factors and histopathological subgroups.


METHODS
Retrospectively eighty-one lung cancer patients and 81 age-sexes matched healthy subjects included into the study. Patients with hypertension, hematological and renal disease, heart failure, chronic infection, hepatic disorder and other cancer were excluded from the study. The preoperative or pretreatment blood count data was obtained from the recorded computerized database.


RESULTS
NLR and PLR values were significantly higher in the LC patients compared to the healthy subjects.( NLR: 4.42 vs 2.45 p=0.001, PLR: 245.1 vs 148.2 p=0.002) MPV values were similar in both groups (7.7 vs 7.8). No statistically significant relationship was determined between these markers (MPV, NLR and PLR) and histopathological subgroups and TNM stages.


CONCLUSIONS
NLR and PLR can be useful biomarkers in LC patients before treatment. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.
Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, 19 Mayis Univercity, Turkey E-mail : drturkmen@yahoo.com.
Yasemin
Y
Kemal
Idris
I
Yucel
Kubilay
K
Ekiz
Guzin
G
Demirag
Bahiddin
B
Yilmaz
Fatih
F
Teker
Meltem
M
Ozdemir
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor