Assessment of the relationship between neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and prognostic factors in non-metastatic colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio still has a limited clinical use due to many non-cancer factors affecting neutrophils or lymphocytes in the present time. We aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and poor prognostic factors after curative elective colorectal surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This clinical retrospective study was initiated with 95 patients, who had a curative surgical resection between 2003 and 2013. The patients were divided into two groups based on the preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio cut-off value above and below 3. The groups were compared for tumor localization, diameter, and staging; the histopathological perineural invasion; lymphovascular invasion; and overall survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the role of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio after stratification by several clinicopathological factors.

RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 59.79±1.48 (range, 23-90) years, and median follow-up period was 20.77±14.85 months. There was no significant difference in perineural or lymphovascular invasion, tumor size, stage, age, sex, and tumor location between the groups [Group 1 ratio >3 (n=52) and Group 2 ratio ≤3(n=43)]. Hemoglobin (p=0.035) and albumin levels (p=0.004) were lower in the Group 1. When the stage increased, differences between the rectal cancer groups were found. Overall survival was significantly lower in the Group 1 (p=0.013).

CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that a high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio had an adverse effect on overall survival in colorectal cancer patients who had a curative surgery. However, we could not establish any association between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and the factors such lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, tumor size expect hemoglobin and serum albumin levels.