Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte predicts the prognosis of stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Objective To investigate the correlation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) with prognosis of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. Clinical data from 567 stage I NSCLC patients who received surgical treatment in our hospital from May 2007 to May 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. According to preoperative peripheral blood NLR values, patients were divided into low- and high-NLR groups. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation of preoperative NLRs with postoperative survival. Results. NLRs ranged from 0.48 to 47.25 (median 2.19). The five-year survival for patients in the high-NLR (NLR > 2.19) and low-NLR (NLR < 2.19) groups were 75.7% and 87.3%, respectively, showing significant difference (P = 0.004). Univariate analysis confirmed that age, gender, smoking history, histological tumor type and tumor size, vascular and visceral pleural invasion, and NLRs were prognostic factors for stage I NSCLC. Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that age, gender, tumor size, vascular and visceral pleural invasion, and NLRs were independent prognostic risk factors for stage I NSCLC. Conclusion. NLR may be an independent prognostic factor for stage I NSCLC and elevated NLR is associated with poor prognosis.