Platelet-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of lymph node metastasis in small bowel cancer

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to investigate the potential predictive value of preoperative systemic inflammatory indexes in identifying lymph node metastasis among patients diagnosed with small bowel cancer. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of clinical data was conducted on small bowel cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment at the gastrointestinal surgery department of our hospital between January 2010 and June 2021. Patients were divided into groups based on the presence or absence of lymph node metastasis as confirmed by postoperative pathological results. The study compared the differences in preoperative inflammatory indexes and clinical data between the two groups using single factor analysis and multifactorial Logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, a nomogram model for predicting lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer was constructed using R software and internally validated. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 140 small bowel cancer patients. Postoperative pathology confirmed lymph node metastasis in 72 cases. Univariate analysis results indicated associations between preoperative inflammatory indexes and clinical data with lymph node metastasis in small bowel cancer. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, NLR, number of lymph node dissection, and lymphovascular invasion independently influenced lymph node metastasis in small bowel cancer patients. The developed nomogram model demonstrated a C-index of 0.855 (95% CI 0.792-0.917), with a calibrated prediction curve closely resembling the ideal curve. CONCLUSION: An elevated PLR is an independent risk factor for LNM in patients with small bowel cancer.