Prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in metastatic colorectal cancer ⁎

Abstract

Abstract Objective This study investigated the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting clinical outcomes of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) undergoing irinotecanbased first-line chemotherapy. Methods This study was based on a Chinese prospective multicenter trial (NCT01282658). Baseline complete blood cell counts were performed. Survival was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analyses based on the Cox regression model were performed to determine the effects of independent biomarkers. Results A total of 139 patients were evaluated. Values below the median NLR were associated with better progression-free survival (PFS) (9.9 vs 7.7 months, P = 0.043) and overall survival (OS) (21.8 vs 15.1 months, P = 0.013). These effects remained significant in multivariate analysis. Conclusion NLR is an independent prognostic marker of mCRC treated with first-line irinotecan-based therapy in a Chinese population.