Is the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio a prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer patients who receive adjuvant chemotherapy?

Inflammation plays a key role in malignant tumor progression. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of systemic inflammation and, as such, high isolated pretreatment NLR has been shown in some studies to be associated with worse long-term outcomes. We summarize the data regarding the utility of NLR as a prognosis factor and present results of a single institution study assessing the usefulness of high preoperative NLR as a prognosis factor for patients with successfully resected NSCLC who receive adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy. While largely supportive of the value of NLR as a prognostic fac-tor, the literature is not consistent and suggest a more nuanced association. Our single institution study adds to the exiting literature. We conclude preoperative NLR can be used as a reliable, cost-effective biomarker to estimate prognosis in NSCLC patients who have undergone lung lobectomy with curative intent followed by cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy.(c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Inflammation plays a key role in malignant tumor progression. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an indicator of systemic inflammation and high NLR before treatment has been associated with worse long-term outcomes in some studies. We summarize the data on the use of NLR as a prognostic factor and present the results of a single institution study evaluating the usefulness of high preoperative NLR as a prognostic factor in patients with resected NSCLC who receive adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Our study, along with existing literature, supports the use of preoperative NLR as a reliable and cost-effective biomarker for estimating prognosis in NSCLC patients.