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Elevated preoperative NLR is an independent predictor of worse RFS for patients with stage IIA colon cancer and a potential biomarker to identify candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Elevated NLR is a predictor of shorter survival in patients with advanced PC.

BACKGROUND: Plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is widely used in screening, monitoring, and prediction of relapse in nonmetastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, data regarding utility of plasma EBV DNA in metastatic NPC are rare. The current study was to test the prognostic implication of plasma EBV DNA level in metastatic/recurrent NPC patients treated with palliative chemotherapy. METHODS: Plasma EBV DNA level was measured at baseline and thereafter at the start of each treatment cycle in 127 histologically proven metastatic/recurrent NPC patients treated with palliative chemotherapy. Correlations of pre-treatment and post-treatment plasma EBV DNA levels to survival and response were analyzed. RESULTS: Patients with a low pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA level (

Elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to be associated with worse survival in many malignancies, whereas its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. We retrospectively reviewed 363 consecutively, newly diagnosed, non-disseminated, and biopsy-proven NPC patients. Disease-specific survival (DSS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates were compared according to NLR level. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the prognostic value of NLR. The 5-year DSS, DMFS, and LRFS rates for patients with elevated or non-elevated NLR (> or ≤3.73) were 59.6% vs. 76.6% (p = 0.03), 69.7% vs. 86.6% (p = 0.002), and 78.5% vs. 87.3% (p = 0.105), respectively. For patients with locoregionally advanced disease, NLR was not only an independent prognostic factor, but also a predictor of response to chemoradiotherapy. The 5-year DSS, DMFS, and LRFS rates for patients with elevated or non-elevated NLR were 47.2% vs. 73.7% (p < 0.001), 59.2% vs. 85.1% (p < 0.001), and 72.3% vs. 84.6% (p = 0.041), respectively. Compared with radiation alone, chemoradiotherapy significantly improved DSS and LRFS for patients with non-elevated NLR, but not for those with elevated NLR. Pre-treatment NLR is a strong prognostic factor for NPC patients. For patients with locoregionally advanced disease, NLR might also be a useful indicator for selection of treatment strategies.