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.

Roles of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in prognosis and in differentiation of potential beneficiaries in HER2-positive breast cancer with trastuzumab therapy

“…In our opinion, the pretreatment NLR which was obtained within 1 week before any treatment was more representative of baseline immune status than posttreatment NLR which might be affected by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, even though NLR was calculated from blood data 1 month after last chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This was in line with most of studies that showed the low baseline NLR was associated with better survival outcomes [29][30][31][32].…”

Roles of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in prognosis and in differentiation of potential beneficiaries in HER2-positive breast cancer with trastuzumab therapy

“…In our opinion, the pretreatment NLR which was obtained within one week before any treatment was more representative of baseline immune status than posttreatment NLR which might be affected by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, even though NLR was calculated from blood data one month after last chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This was in line with most of studies that showed the low baseline NLR was associated with better survival outcomes [29][30][31][32].…”

Roles of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in prognosis and in differentiation of potential beneficiaries in HER2-positive breast cancer with trastuzumab therapy

“…In our opinion, the pretreatment NLR which was obtained within one week before any treatment was more representative of baseline immune status than posttreatment NLR which might be affected by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, even though NLR was calculated from blood data one month after last chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This was in line with most of studies that showed the low baseline NLR was associated with better survival outcomes [8,[19][20][21].…”