Initial Hyperleukocytosis and Neutrophilia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Incidence and Prognostic Impact.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to evaluate initial hyperleukocytosis and neutrophilia as prognostic indicators in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 5,854 patients identified from a cohort of 6,035 patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was performed with initial hyperleukocytosis and neutrophilia analyzed as prognostic factors. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses were applied.


RESULTS
Hyperleukocytosis was observed in 508 patients (8.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that initial hyperleukocytosis was an independent predictor of death (HR 1.40, 95%CI 1.15-1.70, p = 0.001), progression (HR 1.25, 95%CI 1.06-1.47, p = 0.007) and, marginally, distant metastasis (HR 1.21, 95%CI 0.97-1.52, p = 0.088). Neutrophilia was also an independent predictor of death (HR 1.46, 95%CI 1.18-1.81, p = 0.001), progression (HR 1.31, 95%CI 1.10-1.56, p = 0.003), and distant metastasis (HR 1.29, 95%CI 1.02-1.65, p = 0.036), after adjusting for prognostic factors and excluding hyperleukocytosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Initial hyperleukocytosis and neutrophilia were independent, poor prognostic factors and may be convenient and useful biological markers for survival of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Zhen
Z
Su
Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Yan-Ping
YP
Mao
Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Pu-Yun
PY
OuYang
Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Jie
J
Tang
Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Fang-Yun
FY
Xie
D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009504:Neutrophils; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016019:Survival Analysis