Preoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is a predictor of bowel obstruction due to colorectal cancer growth

Abstract

Background: Bowel obstruction is commonly encountered in patients with advanced colorectal cancer; however, the cause of obstruction remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify a predictor of bowel obstruction due to colorectal cancer growth. Materials and Methods: Between January 2005 and December 2013, the medical records of 140 patients with T3 or T4 colorectal cancer who underwent curative resection (R0) at our Hospital were investigated retrospectively. This study consisted of 26 patients with obstructive colorectal cancer (OCC) and 114 patients with nonobstructive colon cancer (non-OCC). Results: Significant differences in clinicopathological factors including age, gender, T category, stage, primary tumor site, tumor diameter, macroscopic type, pathological type, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, and lymph node metastasis were not observed between the two groups. Preoperative hematological/biochemical parameters including leukocyte count (p=0.004), neutrophil count (p=0.003), C-reactive protein (CRP) level (0.001), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p=0.001) were significantly higher in the OCC group than in the non-OCC group. However, a significant difference in lymphocyte count was not observed between the two groups (p=0.634). Significant differences in the levels of the serum tumor markers CEA and CA19-9 were not observed between the two groups. Conclusion: Preoperative NLR seems to be a useful predictor of bowel obstruction due to colorectal cancer growth.