Blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios are independent prognostic factors for surgically resected gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are prognostic for various malignancies; however, there are limited data to date demonstrating their usefulness for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The aim of this study was to determine whether NLR and PLR are prognostic for GIST. METHODS: Three hundred patients who underwent operative resection for primary localized GIST with preoperative results for neutrophil, platelet, and lymphocyte counts available were retrospectively reviewed. Optimal cutoff values for high NLR (≥ 3.0) and PLR (≥ 275) in predicting recurrence-free survival (RFS) were determined. Prognostic factors of RFS were determined using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses for the 266 patients who did not receive adjuvant imatinib. RESULTS: On univariate analyses, tumor size, mitotic count, location, and both a high NLR and PLR were significant prognostic indicators of decreased RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.89 [95% CI; 1.609-5.179 P < .001] and HR, 3.572 [95% CI, 2.094-6.096; P < .001], respectively). On multivariate analyses, tumor size, mitotic count, tumor location, and both high NLR and PLR were independent prognostic factors of RFS in GIST. Both a high NLR and PLR were significant prognostic factors for GISTs within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) high-risk categories. Addition of NLR or PLR to the NIH or AFIP improved the accuracy of these systems. CONCLUSION: High NLR and PLR were independent prognostic factors of RFS in GIST. NLR and PLR would be useful as a preoperative prognostic tool and its incorporation into current prognostication systems improved their accuracy.