title: Baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is associated with baseline and subsequent presence of brain metastases in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: We examined the predictive value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) by examining their association with the baseline presence and subsequent development of brain metastases in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We examined the predictive value of NLR for brain metastasis in 260 stage IV NSCLC. Logistic regression models and competing risk analysis were used to determine the association of NLR with baseline and subsequent presence of brain metastases. Multivariate analysis reveals that patients with high NLR (≥4.95) had significantly more brain metastases at diagnosis than those with low NLR (Odds Ratio = 2.59, P = 0.01). In patients who had no baseline brain metastasis, competing risks analysis revealed that patients with high NLR showed higher cumulative incidence of subsequent brain metastases, compared to those with low NLR (P = 0.017). A high NLR was associated with the baseline presence or the subsequent development of brain metastases, particularly in the group with adenocarcinoma (P = 0.013 and P = 0.044, respectively). Furthermore, an increase in NLR during treatment was associated with subsequent brain metastases (P = 0.004). The NLR is an independent predictive factor for the baseline presence of brain metastases and subsequent brain metastases in stage IV NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Wha
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009504:Neutrophils; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers