Relationship of Peripheral Blood Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio with Curative Effect and Prognosis of Patients with Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Objective To explore the predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in the prognosis and curative effect of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) patients.

Methods We collected the clinical information of locally advanced NPC patients from a randomized prospective clinical trial in Guizhou cancer hospital from July 2015 to December 2016. The patients were treated with two cycles of TPF induction chemotherapy and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The relationship between NLR, PLR before treatment and the therapeutic effect of patients was analyzed. We compared the curative effect between chrono-chemotherapy group and routine group.

Results The mean values of NLR and PLR in stage Ⅳa/b patients were higher than those in stage Ⅲ patients (P=0.010); the immediate effect of metastatic lymph nodes in low PLR group was better than that in high PLR group (P=0.029), and the curative effect of primary lesion and overall curative effect three months after radiotherapy were better in low PLR group (P=0.012, P=0.027); there was no significant difference in immediate effect or overall curative effect three months after radiotherapy between conventional group and chronological group (P > 0.05).

Conclusion NLR and PLR are related to the clinical staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The later tumor stage is, the higher NLR and PLR values are. The predictive value of NLR for the patients' short-term efficacy is not well. PLR may be a predictor for recent outcomes of patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and high PLR may predict poor short-term efficacy.