Platelet to Lymphocytes Ratio to Predict Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Progressivity

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck cancer that arises from the nasopharyngeal epithelium. It is one of the most common malignancies in Southeast Asia. In 2020, there were 133,354 new cases of NPC worldwide, with 113,659 occurring on the Asian continent (85.2%). In Indonesia, the prevalence of NPC is 6.2/100,000 people, with 13,000 new cases each year. NPC was the most frequent head and neck cancer in the Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung from 2013 to 2018, with 921 (35.20%) new cases. AIM: Platelet-to-lymphocyte-ratio (PLR) testing has the potential to be employed as a prognostic marker in the evaluation of NPC. The purpose of this study is to investigate the link between PLR and the clinical stage of NPC. METHODS: Between 2016 and 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted on NPC patients at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung. Patient information was gathered from the registry of the Oncology Head and Neck Surgery Study Group. Three hundred and eighty-three people met the requirements for inclusion. RESULTS: Lymph node metastases (p = 0.001), distant metastases (p = 0.001), and clinical stage (p < 0.001) are all classified differently by PLR. The platelet to lymphocytes ratio was linked to lymph node metastasis, distant metastases, and clinical stage in a statistically significant (p < 0.05). Patients with a PLR >287 have a 3.69 times chance of developing distant metastases, while those with a PLR >160 have a 1.38 times chance of progressing to the advanced stage. CONCLUSION: PLR is linked to the nasopharyngeal cancer clinical stage. Furthermore, in NPC patients, PLR can predict advanced stage and distant metastases.