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BackgroundThere is no reliable biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients who undergo radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. Recent studies have shown that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could function as a useful prognostic factor in several types of malignancies. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of NLR in bladder cancer.MethodsA total of 74 patients who underwent radical cystectomy in our institutions from 1999 to 2014 were analyzed. The NLR was calculated using the patients’ neutrophil and lymphocyte counts before radical cystectomy. An immunohistochemical analysis was also performed to detect tumor infiltrating neutrophils (CD66b) and lymphocytes (CD8) in bladder cancer specimens.ResultsA univariate analysis showed that the patients with a high NLR (≥2.38; HR = 4.84; p = 0.007), high C-reactive protein level (>0.08; HR = 10.06; p = 0.030), or pathological lymph node metastasis (HR = 4.73; p = 0.030) had a significantly higher risk of cancer-specific mortality. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests further revealed that NLR was strongly correlated with overall survival (p = 0.018), but not progression-free survival (p = 0.137). In a multivariate analysis, all of these were found to be independent risk factors (HR = 4.62, 10.8, and 12.35, respectively). The number of CD8-positive lymphocytes was significantly increased in high-grade (p = 0.001) and muscle-invasive (p = 0.012) tumors, in comparison to low-grade and non-muscle-invasive tumors, respectively.ConclusionsThe NLR predicted the prognosis of patients who underwent radical cystectomy and might therefore function as a reliable biomarker in cases of invasive bladder cancer.

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BackgroundRecently, sarcopenia has been reported as a new predictor for patient outcomes or likelihood of post-operative complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of the psoas muscle volume with the length of hospitalization among patients undergoing radical cystectomy.MethodsA total of 63 (80.8%) male patients and 15 (19.2%) female patients who underwent radical cystectomy for their bladder cancer in our institution from 2000 to 2015 were analyzed. The psoas muscle index (PMI) was calculated by normalizing the psoas muscle area calculated using axial computed tomography at the level of the umbilicus (cm2) by the square of the body height (m2). Longer hospitalization was defined as hospitalization exceeding 30 days after surgery.ResultsThe median PMIs (mean ± standard deviation) were 391 (394 ± 92.1) and 271 (278 ± 92.6) cm2/m2 in men and women, respectively. Thus, the PMIs of male patients were significantly larger than those of females (p < 0.001). Based on the differences in gender, we analyzed 63 male patients for a further analysis. In male patients, those hospitalized longer showed a significantly smaller PMI than those normally discharged (377 ± 93.1 vs. 425 ± 83.4; p = 0.04). Similarly, male patients with a small PMI (<400) had a significantly worse overall survival (p = 0.02) than those with a large PMI (≥400).ConclusionsThe presence of sarcopenia was found to be associated with significantly longer hospitalization after radical cystectomy in male patients. Furthermore, in men, a PMI <400 may suggest a significantly worse prognosis.