To Quantify the Prognostic Impact of Pretreatment Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) on Head and Neck Cancer

A BSTRACT Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to be associated with survival in solid malignancies. We investigated the prognostic value of NLR with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) managed with primary or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods: A retrospective chart review of consecutive patients with HNSCC was performed. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis curve was used for overall survival. Univariate and multivariate cox proportional hazard regression was used to find out the factors affecting overall survival and recurrence. Result: We analyzed 111 patients treated from January 1, 2014 to January 1, 2017. The median follow-up was 32 months. Higher NLR was associated with poor overall survival (95% confidence interval 0.796 to 0.929; P = <.0001) and higher rate of recurrence (95% confidence interval 0.596–0.776, P = <.0007). Conclusion: Our data suggest that in HNSCC, NLR level is an independent predictor of poor prognosis. The NLR ratio is a readily available variable that can serve as a potent marker for risk stratification.