Elevated Serum Neutrophil to Lymphocyte and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratios Could be Useful in Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Background: Lung cancer (LC) is still the primary cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and late diagnosis is amajor obstacle to improving lung cancer outcomes. Recently, elevated preoperative or pretreatment neutrophilto lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) detected inperipheral blood were identified as independent prognostic factors associated with poor survival with variouscancers, including colon cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and breast cancer.
Objective: The aim ofthis study was to examine whether MPV, NLR and PLR could be useful inflammatory markers to differentiatelung cancer patients from healthy controls. An investigation was also made of the relationship between thesemarkers and other prognostic factors and histopathological subgroups. Materials and
Methods: Retrospectivelyeighty-one lung cancer patients and 81 age-sexes matched healthy subjects included into the study. Patientswith hypertension, hematological and renal disease, heart failure, chronic infection, hepatic disorder and othercancer were excluded from the study. The preoperative or pretreatment blood count data was obtained fromthe recorded computerized database.
Results: NLR and PLR values were significantly higher in the LC patientscompared to the healthy subjects.( NLR: 4.42 vs 2.45 p=0.001, PLR: 245.1 vs 148.2 p=0.002) MPV values weresimilar in both groups (7.7 vs 7.8). No statistically significant relationship was determined between these markers(MPV, NLR and PLR) and histopathological subgroups and TNM stages.
Conclusions: NLR and PLR can beuseful biomarkers in LC patients before treatment. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm thesefindings.