title: Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as prognostic predictor for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after radical resections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is an aggressive disease in the head and neck region. Therefore, simple and useful prognostic predictors of HPSCC are needed for clinical practice. This study investigates the prognostic significance of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with HPSCC who received radical resections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review was conducted on medical records at a tertiary referral hospital involving 146 consecutive patients who underwent radical resection for HPSCC between January 2000 and December 2010. The prognostic significance of NLR and other clinicopathologic factors was analyzed. The relationships between the NLR value and clinicopathologic factors were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study cohort consisted of 146 patients with HPSCC, with a mean age of 57.5 years (range, 34-89 years). The median number of NLR was 2.28 (range, 0.71-8.75). On the basis of this median value, the cutoff value of NLR was set as 2.3. The patients were divided into 2 groups: a low (<2.3) NLR group and a high (≥2.3) NLR group. Patients with NLR of 2.3 or more had significantly higher incidence of wound complications (P = 0.026). The 3-year overall survival rate was 69.9% in patients in the low NLR group and 27.4% in those in the high NLR group (P <0.001; hazard ratio;2.99; 95% confidence interval, 1.91-4.67).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results showed that high preoperative NLR is associated with increased wound complications and poor survival in patients with HPSCC.
authors: From the Departments of *Otorhinolaryngology and †Operative Room, Tangshan Gongren Hospital, Tangshan, Heibei, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Song
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Lina
authors: L
authors: Gao
authors: Xuan
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Lihua
authors: L
authors: Ma
authors: Mancun
authors: M
authors: Lu
authors: Zhanmei
authors: Z
authors: Gao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor