Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio as Biomarkers in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common neoplasm worldwide. Despite advances in treatment for HNSCC, the patient’s survival remains poor. Therefore, in order to improve HNSCC patient’s outcome, it is essential to explore novel biomarkers for predicting response to treatment. Herein, we state that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a biomarker to predict the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in HNSCC patients and to predict the wound healing failure in head and neck reconstruction surgery. Although elevated pretreatment NLR was significantly correlated with poor response to CRT, lower preoperative NLR tended to exhibit a higher occurrence rate of posto-perative wound healing failure in HN reconstruction surgery. Thus, in case which HNSCC patient with lower NLR has remnant tumor after CRT, salvage surgery with microsurgical reconstruction might include a higher occurrence rate of postoperative wound complications than the present. Head and neck surgeons should take care of the possibility.