Comparative prognostic value of different preoperative complete blood count cell ratios in patients with oral cavity cancer treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy

Background We sought to compare the prognostic significance of different preoperative complete blood count cell ratios in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 890 patients with OSCC who were treated with surgery and PORT. The following preoperative complete blood count cell ratios were collected: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR). Overall survival (OS), local control, regional control, and distant control (DC) served as the main outcomes of interest. Results The results of multivariate analysis in the entire study cohort revealed that a low NLR was the only independently favorable marker of both OS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.794, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.656-0.961, bootstrap p = 0.028) and DC (adjusted HR: 0.659, 95% CI: 0.478-0.909, bootstrap p = 0.015). Both LMR and PLR were not retained in the model as independent predictors. Subgroup analyses in high-risk patients (i.e., those bearing T4 disease, N3 disease, or poor differentiation) revealed that a high NLR was a significant adverse risk factor for both OS and DC (all p < 0.03)-with a borderline significance being evident for DC in patients with T4 disease (p = 0.058). Conclusions A high pretreatment NLR was an independent unfavorable risk factor for both OS and DC in patients with OSCC who underwent surgery and PORT. No other preoperative complete blood count parameters and cell ratios were found to have prognostic significance.

Automated summary

In patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, a low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was the only independently favorable marker for overall survival (OS) and distant control (DC). Other preoperative complete blood count parameters and cell ratios did not show prognostic significance. High NLR was identified as a significant adverse risk factor in high-risk patients.