Prognostic significance of the pre-chemotherapy lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer receiving FOLFOX chemotherapy

Prognostic Value of Preoperative Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio in Patients with Recurrent Colorectal Cancer

Background and Objectives: CRC is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. New biomarkers are needed to identify the high-risk patient population after primary treatment and to personalize and perfect treatment and follow-up. Indicators of cancer-associated systemic inflammatory response, such as the LMR, have been widely investigated and have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of preoperative LMR on the prognosis of recurrent CRC. Materials and Methods: We included 204 patients admitted to our center for recurrent CRC between January 2010 and January 2015. Retrospectively, we investigated the preoperative LMR data and its effect on RFS and OS. Results: The cut-off value of LMR was 24.72 and, according to this value, we created two groups: LMR-H and LMR-L. There were 104 (50.9%) patients in the H group and 100 (49.1%) patients in the L group. The median OS was 38.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 30.66-45.33) for the L group and 49.0 months (95% CI: 44.06-53.94) for the H group. Overall population median OS was calculated as 44.0 months (95% CI: 40.1-47.8, p = 0.004). Median RFS was 21.3 months (95% CI: 18.3-24.2) for the LMR-L group and 28.39 months (95% CI: 24.9-31.8) for the LMR-H group (p = 0.004). Conclusions: The association between the LMR at diagnosis and early recurrence, as well as survival outcomes, was investigated in patients with recurrent CRC. Higher preoperative LMR levels were found to correlate with improved OS and RFS.

The prognostic utility of the ratio of lymphocyte to monocyte in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Although advancements in treatment have resulted in improved overall outcomes for patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the prognosis remains unfavorable for individuals with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The association between lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) and clinical outcomes in mCRC patients is a subject of controversy. To systematically evaluate the correlation between LMR and prognostic factors in individuals with mCRC, we conducted this meta-analysis.

Methods

The databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for all relevant studies from their inception until October 26, 2024. Study selection was conducted based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The primary outcomes of interest included prognosis measures such as overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Random-effects models or fixed-effects models were used to determine the pooled risk ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for each outcome indicator. Additionally, the pooled odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% CI were calculated for LMR and clinicopathological characteristics.

Results

Fourteen studies involving 3,089 patients were included in the analysis. The pooled analysis found that high LMR was correlated with better OS (HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.49-0.62, p<0.00001), PFS (HR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.57-0.81, p<0.0001) and CSS(HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32-0.95, p=0.03),The prognostic value of high LMR values for DFS(HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.78-1.12, p=0.46) in patients with metastatic rectal cancer was not found to be significant. We performed subgroup analyses based on study characteristics to confirm the robustness of our findings. Further clinicopathological analysis showed no significant difference between patients with elevated LMR and those without elevated LMR.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the results demonstrate a robust correlation between elevated LMR levels and a favorable prognosis in terms of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) among patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer. However, further high-quality prospective studies are warranted to validate our findings since the majority of current investigations have relied on retrospective study designs.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024496467, identifier CRD42024496467.

Baseline and Longitudinal Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as Prognostic Factor for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of the ITACa Randomized Trial

PURPOSE

We aimed to investigate the prognostic role of baseline and longitudinal levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with chemotherapy + bevacizumab (CT + B) or chemotherapy only. Additionally, we investigated whether treatment outcomes were mediated by the longitudinal biomarker.

METHODS

Data from an Italian randomized phase III trial were used. The main end point was progression-free survival (PFS). To address research questions, a series of joint models of longitudinal and survival data were specified, and the direct and indirect treatment effects were quantified.

RESULTS

Data for 239 patients, 113 (47.3%) treated with CT + B and 126 (52.7%) with CT only, were included in the analyses. The effect of NLR seemed to be mediated by the longitudinal trajectory of the biomarker. Only in the patient subgroup treated with CT + B, the baseline NLR retained a direct effect on PFS. Regarding the effect of treatment on PFS, two scenarios were observed. In the subgroup of patients with low baseline, NLR bevacizumab showed a direct protective effect only (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66 [95% CI, 0.45 to 0.98]), whereas in the subgroup with high baseline NLR, there was evidence for an adverse direct effect (HR, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.03 to 2.57]) and a protective indirect-which is mediated by the longitudinal biomarker-effect (HR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.55 to 0.90]).

CONCLUSION

In our study, inflammatory indexes collected longitudinally showed a significant adverse prognostic role, thus suggesting the collection and use of such data for better clinical decision making. In the specific setting, we considered this is particularly important as the treatment effect seemed to be modified by both the baseline and longitudinal inflammation statuses. However, further research is needed to understand the possible factors underlying these results.

Prognostic value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in gastric cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Emerging evidence suggests a correlation between the lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) and the prognosis in patients with gastric cancer (GC) undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Nevertheless, the existing findings remain contentious.

Methods

A comprehensive search of literature was conducted in databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, spanning from the inception of each database to August 30, 2023 to collect studies exploring the interplay between LMR and clinical outcomes. Eligible studies were selected following predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Primary outcomes encompassed progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), which were estimated using hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Our analysis incorporated eight cohort studies, involving 815 patients. Aggregate data revealed associations between an elevated LMR at baseline and prolonged PFS (HR=0.58; 95% CI: 0.47-0.71, p<0.00001) and improved OS (HR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.33-0.79; p=0.003). Furthermore, LMR exhibited a favorable association with PFS after treatment (HR=0.48; 95% CI: 0.29-0.79; p= 0.004), while such a correlation was not evident in the OS analysis. Importantly, a high level of LMR was associated with prolonged PFS across varying sample sizes, follow-up duration, treatment combinations, line of therapy, and cut-off values.

Conclusion

A high pre-treatment LMR is associated with improved OS and PFS in GC patients treated with ICIs. LMR emerges as a potent biomarker for prognostic assessment in these patients, offering valuable insights for informed treatment decisions within the domain of GC immunotherapy.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, identifier CRD42021228512.

Prognostic Significance of Systemic Inflammation Indices by K-ras Status in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Systemic inflammation markers are useful prognostic indicators for metastatic colorectal cancer. However, the influence of K-ras genotypes on these markers in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the associations between systems of evaluating pretreatment systemic inflammation and outcomes according to K-ras genotypes in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective study.

SETTINGS

This study was conducted at a university hospital.

PATIENTS

This study included a total of 272 patients ( K-ras wild type: K-ras mutant = 169:103) who received first-line systemic chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We retrospectively calculated 8 systemic inflammation indices: neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte/monocyte ratio, prognostic nutritional index, Glasgow prognostic score, Naples prognostic score, systemic inflammation score, and systemic immune-inflammation index. Patients were categorized into high or low groups for each index. The prognostic relevance of these indices for overall survival was evaluated according to the K-ras genotype.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that median overall survival significantly differed between the high and low groups for all indices in the K-ras wild-type group but not in the K-ras mutant group, except for Glasgow prognostic score and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio. Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified all indices as independent prognostic factors. In the K-ras wild-type group, all indices except platelet/lymphocyte ratio had strong prognostic effects, but not in the K-ras mutant group. Interaction tests indicated that K-ras genotype significantly influenced the prognostic impacts of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio ( p = 0.042), prognostic nutritional index ( p = 0.048), Naples prognostic score ( p < 0.001), and systemic immune-inflammation index ( p = 0.004).

LIMITATIONS

A major limitation of this study is the lack of external validation.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognostic significance of systemic inflammation indices is more useful in patients with K-ras wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer than those with K-ras mutant cancer. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B921 .

IMPORTANCIA PRONSTICA DE LOS NDICES DE INFLAMACIN SISTMICA POR ESTADO DE KRAS EN PACIENTES CON CNCER COLORRECTAL METASTSICO

ANTECEDENTES:Los marcadores de inflamación sistémica son indicadores de pronósticos útiles para el cáncer colorrectal metastásico. Sin embargo, la influencia de los genotipos KRAS en estos marcadores en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal metastásico no está clara.OBJETIVO:Evaluamos las asociaciones entre los sistemas de evaluación de la inflamación sistémica previa al tratamiento y los resultados según los genotipos K-ras en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal metastásico.AJUSTE:Este estudio se realizó en un hospital universitario.DISEÑO:Este fue un estudio retrospectivo.PACIENTES:Un total de 272 pacientes (K-ras wildtype [K-raswt]:mutant [K-rasMut] = 169:103) que recibieron quimioterapia sistémica de primera línea para el cáncer colorrectal metastásico.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Calculamos retrospectivamente 8 índices de inflamación sistémica: proporción de neutrófilos/linfocitos, proporción de plaquetas/linfocitos, proporción de linfocitos/monocitos, índice nutricional pronóstico, puntuación de pronóstico de Glasgow, puntuación de pronóstico de Nápoles, puntuación de inflamación sistémica e índice de inmunoinflamación sistémica. Los pacientes se clasificaron en grupos altos o bajos para cada índice. La relevancia pronóstica de estos índices para la supervivencia global se evaluó según el genotipo K-ras.RESULTADOS:Los análisis de supervivencia de Kaplan-Meier mostraron que la mediana de la supervivencia general difería significativamente entre los grupos alto y bajo para todos los índices en el grupo K-raswt pero no en el grupo K-rasMut, excepto para la puntuación de pronóstico de Glasgow y la proporción de linfocitos/monocitos. Los análisis de regresión multivariable de Cox identificaron todos los índices como factores pronósticos independientes. En el grupo K-raswt, todos los índices, excepto el cociente plaquetas/linfocitos, tuvieron fuertes efectos pronósticos, pero no en el grupo K-rasMut. Las pruebas de interacción indicaron que el genotipo K-ras influyó significativamente en los impactos pronósticos de la proporción de neutrófilos/linfocitos (p = 0,042), el índice nutricional pronóstico (p = 0,048), la puntuación pronóstica de Nápoles (p < 0,001) y el índice de inflamación inmunológica sistémica (p = 0,004).LIMITACIÓN:Una limitación importante de este estudio es la falta de validación externa.CONCLUSIÓNES:La importancia pronóstica de los índices de inflamación sistémica es más útil en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal metastásico K-raswt. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B921 . (Traducción-Dr. Yolanda Colorado ).

Pretreatment Inflammatory Markers Predict Outcomes and Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer Patients With Synchronous Liver Metastasis

Introduction

Pretreatment inflammatory markers were applied to predict the prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, the role of these markers in predicting survival in patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) is rarely reported. Notably, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was mainly reported in hematologic malignancies and is worth to be further explored to predict the survival of synchronous CLM.

Methods

Totally, 196 patients who were diagnosed with synchronous CLM were enrolled. Their clinical and laboratory data before treatment were collected, retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the inflammatory biomarkers.

Results

LMR (P = .002) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P = .017) were significantly related to the progression-free survival (PFS). More factors such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P = .011), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) (P = .001), number of metastatic foci (P = .006), and adjuvant chemotherapy (P = .027) were correlated with overall survival (OS). In multivariate analysis, LMR remained statistically associated with PFS (P = .003). Regarding OS, LMR (P = .016) and LDH (P = .013) were significantly independent predictive factors.

Conclusions

The higher LMR and lower LDH were strongly correlated with better survival in synchronous CLM patients. In addition, the result also indicated that enhanced LMR was related to better PFS. The LMR and LDH can be used to predict prognosis of the synchronous CLM.

Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio predicts survival after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy

Aim: Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) predicts overall survival (OS) in patients with colorectal cancer. We explored LMR in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC). Materials & methods: We identified all patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC for colorectal or appendiceal adenocarcinoma at our institution. We analyzed LMR's relationship with clinicopathologic variables with Kaplan-Meier log-rank survival analyses and multivariable Cox regression models with 5-year OS. Results: Two hundred and sixteen patients underwent CRS/HIPEC. Five-year OS for low LMR (≤3.71) was 35.2 versus 60.4% for elevated LMR (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1-3.5; p = 0.02). On multivariable Cox-regression, elevated LMR was significantly associated with OS (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: LMR is an independent predictor of OS in patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC for colorectal and appendiceal adenocarcinoma.

Abilities of Pre-Treatment Inflammation Ratios as Classification or Prediction Models for Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Background: Systemic inflammatory status is known as an important factor of colorectal cancer prognosis. Our study aimed to evaluate the performances of inflammation biomarker ratios as classification models of seven outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on subjects with colorectal cancer over five years at a single center in Transylvania, Romania. Seven derived ratios were calculated based on laboratory data: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (dNLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte (LMR) and albumin-to-globulin (AGR) ratios, Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI). The utility of these ratios as predictors for seven outcomes was further evaluated in multivariable regression models. Results: Our study shows that the evaluated ratios exhibit specific performances for individual outcomes, proving a fair ability as screening tools (NLR and dNLR for survival, T stage and M stage; NLR and SII for T stage; and PLR for M stage). A dNLR over 3.1 (OR = 2.48, 95% CI (1.421 to 4.331)) shows predictive value for survival. A value of NLR over 3.10 (OR = 1.389, 95% CI (1.061 to 1.817)) is positively associated with an advanced T stage, while LMR is negatively related to the T stage (OR = 0.919, 95% CI (0.867 to 0.975)). NLR over 4.25 (OR = 2.647, 95% CI (2.128 to 3.360)) is positively associated with, while PNI is negatively related (OR = 0.970, 95% CI (0.947 to 0.993)) to, the M stage. Conclusion: Each of the evaluated ratios possesses prognostic value for certain outcomes considered, but the reported models need external validation to recommend their clinical practice utilization.

Elevated peripheral absolute monocyte count related to clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in solid tumors: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

BACKGROUND

Absolute monocyte count (AMC) is often used to be assessed in cancer follow-up, which has regained interest as a potential prognostic indicator in many solid tumors, though not consistently or comprehensively. In the present study, we set out to perform a comprehensive meta-analysis of all available data regarding the prognostic significance of AMC in solid tumors. We also evaluated the association between AMC and clinical features in solid tumors.

METHODS

A hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) or a p value (p) from eligible studies were extracted and subsequently pooled analyzed. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression analyses were conducted according to the confounders of included studies. In addition, the relationships between AMC and clinical characteristics were also explored in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, ninety-three articles comprising 104 studies with 32229 patients were finally included. The results showed that elevated AMC was associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.615; 95% CI: 1.475-1.768; p < 0.001), disease-free survival (DFS) (HR:1.488; 95% CI: 1.357-1.633; p < 0.001), progressive-free survival (PFS) (HR: 1.533; 95% CI: 1.342-1.751; p < 0.001) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR: 1.585; 95% CI: 1.253-2.006; p < 0.001) in non-hematological tumors. Subgroup analyses according to each confounder further proved the consistent prognostic value of AMC in solid tumor outcomes. Moreover, elevated AMC was more likely to be observed in male group and patients with smoking history, and associated with longer tumor length and advanced T stage.

CONCLUSION

In short, the meta-analysis found that elevated AMC might indicate poor long-term outcomes in non-hematologic cancers, thus AMC may be a valuable marker in the prognosis for patients with solid tumors.

A persistent high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing resection

The prognostic role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, its variation and corresponding predicative value in patients undergoing resection remain largely unknown. In the present study, data from 146 patients with CRC were retrospectively collected, optimal cut-off points for preoperative and postoperative low and high NLRs were set, and ΔNLR was calculated. Subsequently, patients were classified into low-low, low-high, high-low and high-high subgroups based on the cut-off points, and their progression-free survival (PFS) was determined. A Cox proportional hazard model was applied to calculate the prognostic value of all factors. The results demonstrated that both preoperative and postoperative NLRs (pre-NLR and post-NLR) but not ΔNLR could predict PFS with optimal cut-off points of 2.39 and 2.96, respectively. For predicting PFS, the pre-NLR had a sensitivity and specificity of 48.80 and 79.50%, respectively, and the post-NLR had a sensitivity and specificity of 63.20 and 56.20%, respectively. Significant differences were identified between low and high pre-NLRs in terms of histological grade (P<0.01) and tumor diameter (P<0.01); however, such differences were only found in terms of age (P<0.01) for low and high post-NLRs. The PFS of patients in the low-low, low-high, high-low and high-high subgroups was 50.30±21.36, 43.67±22.78, 31.06±25.56 and 29.87±24.13 months, respectively, and patients in the high-high subgroup had the worst PFS (P<0.01). Preoperative CEA level, invasive depth, node involvement, distant metastasis and preoperative NLR were independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, a persistently high NLR for patients with CRC undergoing resection was associated with poor prognosis.

Postoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio is a biomarker of risk of recurrence and need for adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant chemotherapy is generally recommended for patients with stage III colorectal cancer. Even with adjuvant chemotherapy, 20-30% of such patients develop recurrences; the risk factors for recurrence are currently unclear. The preoperative systemic inflammation index has been linked to poor prognoses in patients with colorectal cancer; however, the relationship between postoperative systemic inflammation index and recurrence is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative and postoperative systemic inflammation indexes and recurrence in patients with stage III colorectal cancer.

METHODS

The following laboratory data of 133 patients with stage III colorectal cancer were analyzed: preoperative and postoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratios (CAR); neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios (NLR); and platelet to lymphocyte ratios (PLR) and their relationships with recurrence analyzed.

RESULTS

The optimal cutoff values for systemic inflammation indexes were determined by examining receiver operating characteristic curves. Multivariate analyses indicated that N-stage, postoperative complications, preoperative NLR, and postoperative CAR were independent predictors of recurrence-free survival (RFS). Postoperative CAR was also an independent predictor of overall survival (OS). Patients with postoperative CAR ≥ 0.035 who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy had shorter RFS and OS than those who did. There were no significant differences in RFS and OS between patients with postoperative CAR < 0.035 who did and did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative CAR is strongly associated with poor prognosis in patients with stage III colorectal cancer and is a useful biomarker for determining whether adjuvant chemotherapy should be administered.

Glasgow PrognosticScore as a Predictor of BevacizumabEfficacy in the First-line Treatment with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Background: Inflammation might play an important role in promoting cancer growth partly by affecting tumor angiogenesis. We explored the role of Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) in metastatic colorectal cancer patients receiving first-linebevacizumab.

Methods: All consecutive metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with first-line chemotherapy plus or not plus bevacizumab were eligible. Pre-treatment GPS were collected for all cases.

Results: In the chemotherapy group for patients with GPS of 0, 1 and 2, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.67, 8.10, and 8.27months, respectively (P = 0.17). Median overall survival (OS) was 24.87, 23.30, and 17.93months, respectively (P = 0.04). In the bevacizumab group, median PFS was 11.83, 8.10, and 6.87 months, respectively (P = 0.01), and median OS was 30.80, 19.47, and 18.67 months, respectively (P = 0.03).In whole group patients with a GPS of 0, both PFS and OS were in favor of patients treated with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy compared with who treated with chemotherapy alone (PFS 11.83 vs. 8.67 months, p=0.03; OS 30.80 vs. 24.87 months, p=0.04).

Conclusion: GPS of 0 was correlated with good prognosis. Bevacizumab added a survival advantage only in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with a GPS of 0.

Peripheral monocyte counts predict the clinical outcome for patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Monocytes originating from bone marrow play a key role in the inflammatory response. Divergent findings regarding the prognostic value of inflammatory factors like absolute monocyte count (AMC) in colorectal cancer (CRC) exist in the current literature. Thus, we sought to perform a systemic meta-analysis to comprehensively estimate whether the peripheral AMC affects the clinical outcome of CRC patients. A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE last updated to 23 December 2018, to identify studies reporting the prognostic value of AMC in patients with CRC. Hazard ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) or P values were used as the effect size estimates for clinical outcomes including overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and progression-free survival (PFS) with the random-effect inverse variance weighted method. The potential heterogeneity was assessed with Q test and I statistics. Subgroup analyses with respect to some clinicopathological parameters were conducted. A total of 16 clinical studies comprising 3826 patients were included for analysis. Pooled analyses revealed that CRC patients with elevated AMC were significantly associated with worse OS (hazard ratio = 1.708, 95% CI: 1.480-1.971, P < 0.001), DFS (hazard ratio = 1.817, 95% CI: 1.289-2.560, P = 0.001), CSS (hazard ratio = 1.551, 95% CI: 1.187-2.027, P = 0.001) and PFS (hazard ratio = 1.487, 95% CI: 1.259-1.756, P < 0.001). In addition, subgroup analyses provided more information and demonstrated the prognostic effect of elevated preoperative AMC in patients with CRC. There were no significant heterogeneity and publication bias. In conclusion, elevated AMC seems to be served as an unfavorable and robust predicative indicator in CRC patients.

Prognostic impact of pretreatment lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in advanced epithelial cancers: a meta-analysis

Background

There is increasing evidence that inflammation-based biomarkers are associated with tumor microenvironment which plays important roles in cancer progression. A high lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), has been suggested to indicate favorable prognoses in various epithelial cancers. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the prognostic value of LMR in advanced-stage epithelial cancers undergoing various treatment.

Methods

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science and Cochrane Library up to July 2018 for relevant studies. We included studies assessing the prognostic impact of pretreatment LMR on clinical outcomes in patients with advanced-stage epithelial cancers. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcome was progression free survival (PFS). The summary hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.

Results

A total of 8984 patients from 35 studies were included. A high pretreatment LMR was associated with favorable OS (HR = 0.578, 95% CI 0.522–0.641, P < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 0.598, 95% CI 0.465–0.768, P < 0.001). The effect of LMR on OS was observed among various tumor types. A higher pretreatment LMR was associated with improved OS in chemotherapy (n = 10, HR = 0.592, 95% CI 0.518–0.676, P < 0.001), surgery (n = 10, HR = 0.683, 95% CI 0.579–0.807, P < 0.001) and combined therapy (n = 11, HR = 0.507, 95% CI 0.442–0.582, P < 0.001) in the subgroup analysis by different therapeutic strategies. The cut-off value for LMR was 3.0 (range = 2.35–5.46). Subgroup analysis according to the cut-off value showed a significant prognostic value of LMR on OS and PFS in both subgroups.

Conclusions

A high pretreatment LMR is associated with favorable clinical outcomes in advanced-stage epithelial cancers undergoing different therapeutic strategies. LMR could be used to improve clinical decision-making regarding treatment in advanced epithelial cancers.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-018-0698-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prognostic value of preoperative prognostic nutritional index and its associations with systemic inflammatory response markers in patients with stage III colon cancer

Background

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been widely applied for predicting survival outcomes of patients with various malignant tumors. Although a low PNI predicts poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer after tumor resection, the prognostic value remains unknown in patients with stage III colon cancer undergoing curative tumor resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of PNI in patients with stage III colon cancer.

Methods

Medical records of 274 consecutive patients with stage III colon cancer undergoing curative tumor resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and capecitabine between December 2007 and December 2013 were reviewed. The optimal PNI cutoff value was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The associations of PNI with systemic inflammatory response markers, including lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and clinicopathologic characteristics were assessed using the Chi square or Fisher’s exact test. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) stratified by PNI were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test, and prognostic factors were identified by Cox regression analyses.

Results

The preoperative PNI was positively correlated with LMR (r = 0.483, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with NLR (r = − 0.441, P < 0.001), PLR (r = − 0.607, P < 0.001), and CRP level (r = − 0.333, P < 0.001). A low PNI (≤ 49.22) was significantly associated with short OS and DFS in patients with stage IIIC colon cancer but not in patients with stage IIIA/IIIB colon cancer. In addition, patients with a low PNI achieved a longer OS and DFS after being treated with 6–8 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy than did those with < 6 cycles. Multivariate analyses revealed that PNI was independently associated with DFS (hazard ratios 2.001; 95% confidence interval 1.157–3.462; P = 0.013).

Conclusion

The present study identified preoperative PNI as a valuable predictor for survival outcomes in patients with stage III colon cancer receiving curative tumor resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.

The clinical use of the platelet/lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio as prognostic predictors in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Conflicting evidence exists regarding the effects of platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio(LMR) on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the roles of the PLR and LMR in predicting the prognosis of CRC patients via meta-analysis.

METHODS

Eligible studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Embase,andChina National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, supplemented by a manual search of references from retrieved articles. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using the generic inverse variance and random-effect model to evaluate the association of PLR and LMR with prognostic variables in CRC, including overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Thirty-three studies containing 15,404 patients met criteria for inclusion. Pooled analysis suggested that elevated PLR was associated with poorer OS (pooled HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.41 - 1.75, p< 0.00001, I2=26%) and DFS (pooled HR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.31 - 1.92, p< 0.00001, I2=66%). Conversely, high LMR correlated with more favorable OS (pooled HR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.50 - 0.68, p< 0.00001, I2=44%), CSS (pooled HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.40 - 0.72, p< 0.00001, I2=11%) and DFS (pooled HR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.71- 0.94,p=0.005, I2=29%).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated PLR was associated with poor prognosis, while high LMR correlated with more favorable outcomes in CRC patients. Pretreatment PLR and LMR could serve as prognostic predictors in CRC patients.

Pathologic response after preoperative therapy predicts prognosis of Chinese colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases

BACKGROUND

Pathologic response is evaluated according to the extent of tumor regression and is used to estimate the efficacy of preoperative treatment. Several studies have reported the association between the pathologic response and clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases who underwent hepatectomy. However, to date, no data from Chinese patients have been reported. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between the pathologic response to pre-hepatectomy chemotherapy and prognosis in a cohort of Chinese patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, we analyzed the data of 380 liver metastases in 159 patients. The pathologic response was evaluated according to the tumor regression grade (TRG). The prognostic role of pathologic response in recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test and multivariate Cox models. Factors that had potential influence on pathologic response were also analyzed using multivariate logistic regression and Kruskal-Wallis/Mann-Whitney U tests.

RESULTS

Patients whose tumors achieved pathologic response after preoperative chemotherapy had significant longer RFS and OS than patients whose tumor had no pathologic response to chemotherapy (median RFS: 9.9 vs. 6.5 months, P = 0.009; median OS: 40.7 vs. 28.1 months, P = 0.040). Multivariate logistic regression and Kruskal-Wallis/Mann-Whitney U tests showed that metastases with small diameter, metastases from the left-side primary tumors, and metastases from patients receiving long-duration chemotherapy had higher pathologic response rates than their control metastases (all P < 0.05). A decrease in the serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level after preoperative chemotherapy predicted an increased pathologic response rate (P < 0.05). Although the application of targeted therapy did not significantly influence TRG scores of all cases of metastases, the addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy resulted in a higher pathologic response rate when combined with irinotecan-based regimens rather than with oxaliplatin-based regimens.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the evaluation of pathologic response may predict the prognosis of Chinese colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases after preoperative chemotherapy. Small tumor diameter, long-duration chemotherapy, left primary tumor, and decreased serum CEA level after chemotherapy are associated with increased pathologic response rates.

Preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio represents a superior predictor compared with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios for colorectal liver-only metastases survival

Systemic inflammation was recognized as an essential factor contributing to the development of malignancies. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of pre-operative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with colorectal liver-only metastases (CLOM) undergoing hepatectomy. We retrospectively enrolled 150 consecutive patients with CLOM between 2000 and 2012. The optimal cutoff values of continuous LMR, NLR, and PLR were determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) related to the LMR, NLR, and PLR were analyzed using both Kaplan–Meier and multivariate Cox regression methods. Elevated LMR (≥2.82) and lower NLR (<4.63) were significantly associated with better RFS and OS in patients with CLOM after hepatectomy, instead of lower PLR (<150.17). Multivariate Cox analysis identified elevated LMR as the only independent inflammatory factor for better RFS (hazard ratio, 0.591; 95% CI, 0.32–0.844; P=0.008) and OS (hazard ratio, 0.426; 95% CI, 0.254–0.716; P=0.001). In the subgroup analysis, elevated LMR was a significant favorable factor in both 5-year RFS and OS of patients with male gender, lymph node metastases, colon cancer, liver tumor with the largest diameter <5 cm, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level <200 ng/mL, negative hepatitis B virus infection, non-anatomic liver resection, postoperative chemotherapy, and non-preoperative chemotherapy. This study demonstrated that the preoperative LMR was an independent predictor of RFS and OS in patients with CLOM undergoing hepatic resection, and it appeared to be superior to the NLR and PLR.

Prognostic role of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in colorectal cancer: An up-to-date meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Although previous meta-analyses have proved that lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) is a prognostic factor in solid cancers, its prognostic role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial. We, therefore, conducted this up-to-date meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of the LMR in CRC.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed in PubMed and Embase for relevant studies in November 2016. Article assessing the prognostic role of LMR in CRC was enrolled in this meta-analysis. Data and characteristics of each study were extracted. A meta-analysis was performed to generate pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival. Begg funnel plot was used to evaluate publication bias.

RESULTS

Eleven studies published between 2014 and 2016 with a total of 9045 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Our findings indicated that a low LMR predicted a worse OS (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.30-1.90, P < .001) and disease-free survival. (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.13-1.39, P < .001) for patients with CRC. Subgroup analyses according to stage (I-III and IV) and LMR cut-off value (<3.00 and ≥3.00) showed a significant prognostic value of LMR on OS. Begg funnel plot showed that publication bias existed in this meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This up-to-date meta-analysis shows that a low LMR is associated with poor survival in patients with CRC, although the publication bias is existed. Large-sample multicenter prospective cohort is needed to assess the role of the LMR in CRC patients.

Are Markers of Systemic Inflammation Good Prognostic Indicators in Colorectal Cancer?

Systemic inflammation has been proved to play a crucial role in promoting cancer progression and metastasis in many cancer types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the present review was to provide an overview of studies regarding the prognostic value of inflammation-based markers in patients with CRC. A literature search was performed for articles reporting the prognostic value of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), modified GPS (mGPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in relation to CRC outcomes. In resectable early-stage CRC, high GPS scores seem significantly associated with cancer-specific survival. It has also been suggested that adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II CRC could improve cancer-specific survival in patients with high GPS scores. In patients with both resectable and unresectable metastatic CRC and a higher GPS score, all studies suggested poorer overall survival. In early-stage and resectable metastatic CRC, the NLR seemed related to overall survival; however, the data for disease-free survival were discordant. In metastatic disease, a possible correlation between a greater NLR and poorer response to bevacizumab has been suggested. Data concerning the prognostic and predictive role of the PLR and LMR in CRC are to date insufficient. In patients with unresectable metastatic disease, inflammation markers can be used to predict the chemotherapeutic outcome and monitor tumor progression. However, further prospective studies might lead to better risk stratification for patients eligible for curative surgery, thus, allowing the restriction of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy to patients with high-risk CRC.

Overexpression of Rab1B and MMP9 predicts poor survival and good response to chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer

Rab1B has recently been reported to be involved in human cancer, but the role of Rab1B in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression of Rab1B and MMP9 in CRC by qRT-PCR, immunoblot and immunohistochemistry and analyzed the clinical significance. The results show that Rab1B and MMP9 are increased at both mRNA and protein levels in CRC cell lines and tissues, as measured by qRT-PCR and immunoblotting. The high protein expression of Rab1B and MMP9 in 179 CRC tissues is associated with deep tumor invasion, lymph-node metastasis and advanced TNM stage. Survival analysis indicates that patients with overexpression of Rab1B or MMP9 have significantly worse overall survival and progression-free survival, but better response to chemotherapy than those with low expression of proteins, and that Rab1B is an independent prognostic factor for CRC patients. Furthermore, when Rab1B and MMP9 are combined into a new risk model, it has a remarkably better prediction of prognosis than each protein alone. In conclusion, Rab1B and MMP9 are potential prognostic biomarkers and their combination significantly improves predictive power for survival and chemotherapy response in CRC patients.

Prognostic value of the lymphocyte monocyte ratio in patients with colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and progression of cancer. A low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) is reported be a poor prognostic factor in multiple malignancies. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of preoperative LMR in colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Studies investigating the prognostic role of preoperative LMR on survival in patients with CRC were systematically searched for in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane databases from inception up to August 2016. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were calculated using fixed-effects/random-effects models.

RESULTS

A total of nine studies comprising 8626 patients with CRC were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated that low LMR was significantly associated with decreased OS (HR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.56-0.70, P < 0.001) and DFS/RFS (HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68-0.84, P < 0.001). The negative prognostic impact of low LMR on OS was observed in patients with different ethnicity, treatment methods, cut-off values, and across disease stages.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis demonstrates that low preoperative LMR is associated with worse survival in patients with CRC.