title: Platelet-lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor in patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As the prognostic value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is unclear in patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), this study assessed the importance of these factors was in this patient subset.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 173 patients with primary ALK-positive NSCLC at pathological stages I-IV, neutrophil, platelet, lymphocyte, D-dimer and eosinophil levels were recorded before starting treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients' median NLR and PLR values were 2.10 and 127.69, respectively. Univariate analyses showed that NLR and PLR values, the D-dimer level and the eosinophil count were all associated with survival. Although multivariate analysis showed PLR to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (p = 0.018), NLR was not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PLR is an independent prognostic factor in ALK-positive NSCLC.
authors: Department of Immunology, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.|Biotherapy Center, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology & Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Han
authors: Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Liping
authors: L
authors: Hong
authors: Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Leina
authors: L
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Radiotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Hongqing
authors: H
authors: Zhuang
authors: Department of Lung Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Bingsheng
authors: B
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Immunology, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.|Biotherapy Center, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology & Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Xinwei
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Immunology, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.|Biotherapy Center, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology & Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
authors: Xiubao
authors: X
authors: Ren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001792:Blood Platelets; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality*; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
keywords: ALK; neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio; non-small-cell lung cancer; platelet–lymphocyte ratio; prognosis