Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic factor for colon cancer in elderly patients: A propensity score analysis

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in elderly patients with Stage I-III colon cancer for long-term oncologic outcomes. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 175 patients aged >75 years who underwent radical surgery for Stage I-III colon cancer between 2000 and 2015 at our institute. Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and relapse-free survival (RFS) were evaluated according to NLR values using propensity score analysis. Patients were allocated to the higher NLR (H-NLR) or the lower NLR (L-NLR) group with a cut-off value of 2.3, based on receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: Before case matching, there were significant differences between the two groups for CSS (p=0.023) and RFS (p<0.001), but not for OS (p=0.069). Similar results were obtained after case matching, with significant differences observed for CSS (p=0.003) and RFS (p=0.027), but not for OS (p=0.145). Conclusion: NLR may be a prognostic factor in elderly patients with colon cancer.