Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) have been reported to be prognostic biomarkers in various cancers. Our study evaluated whether the preoperative NLR, PLR and PNI predicted tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and recurrence in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients.
Methods: A total of 1873 patients with PTC from 9 centers in mainland China were retrospectively assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of inflammation-based scores. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for recurrence.
Results: A decreased PNI and an increased PLR were predictive of TNM stage (p =0.005 and p =0.030, respectively), while a decreased NLR was predictive of recurrence (p =0.040). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that N1 status (odds ratio (OR), 1.898; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.253– 2.874; p =0.002), NLR≤ 1.6 (OR, 1.596; 95% CI, 1.207– 2.111; p =0.001) and PNI≤ 53.1 (OR, 1.511; 95% CI, 1.136– 2.009; p =0.005) were independent factors that predicted recurrence.
Conclusion: The NLR, PLR and PNI have predictive value for TNM stage and recurrence in patients with PTC, but their predictive efficiency is limited. Caution should be used when considering clinical applications of inflammation-based scores.
Keywords: inflammation-based scores, papillary thyroid carcinoma, lymph node metastasis, prognosis