Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Overall Survival in Elderly Patients with Unresectable or Recurrent Gastric Cancer

Yamauchi Y, Sofuni A, Suzuki Y, Iwasaki K, Fukuzawa M, Nagakawa Y and Itoi T

Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
Department of Gastrointestinal and Pediatric Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

^*Correspondance to: Takao Itoi 

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Abstract:

Introduction: The correlations between various inflammatory biomarkers and outcomes in patients with solid cancers has been reported. However, the relevance of these markers is unclear in elderly patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. This retrospective study was conducted to identify specific factors associated with the survival of elderly patients with gastric cancer. Material and Methods: Gastric cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (n=112) were categorized into groups (young: <70 years; elderly: ≥ 70 years). The association between overall survival and pre-treatment values of systemic biomarkers, including the Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet–Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), was evaluated in each group using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses using Cox proportional hazards regression were performed to investigate the prognostic factors associated with overall survival in each group. Results: In both groups (n=56), a NLR and GPS were associated with poor overall survival, whereas the PLR was not. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that poor performance status was correlated with poor overall survival in the young group. However, in the elderly group, the NLR was the only independent prognostic factor of overall survival. Poor performance status was an independent marker of poor prognosis in the young group, whereas a high NLR was an independent marker in the elderly group. Conclusion: Thus, the NLR may be a specific biomarker for predicting the overall survival of elderly patients with unresectable gastric cancer.

Keywords:

Elderly; Gastric cancer; Glasgow prognostic score; Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio; Platelet–lymphocyte ratio

Cite the Article:

Yamauchi Y, Sofuni A, Suzuki Y, Iwasaki K, Fukuzawa M, Nagakawa Y. Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Overall Survival in Elderly Patients with Unresectable or Recurrent Gastric Cancer. Clin Oncol. 2023;8:2027..