Objective: To investigate the significance of fibrinogen (Fib) in combination with the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.
Methods: The preoperative peripheral blood-related indicators of 281 gastric cancer patients were reviewed retrospectively, and the differences in relationship indicators between the survival and death groups were compared and analyzed. The COX regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier Curve (K-M) were used to assess the prognostic significance of Fib combined with NLR in patients with gastric cancer.
Results: ① The difference between the survival and death groups of patients with gastric cancer was statistically significant in the high and low Fib and NLR levels (X ²=6.868 and 17.051, respectively, all P < 0.01). ② The correlation between Fib and NLR was remarkable (r =0.266, P =0.000). ③ The F-NLR classifications showed statistically significant difference between the survival and death groups for gastric cancer patients (X ²=20.200, P =0.000). ④ Except for Fib and the middle/low classification of F-NLR, which was P < 0.05, and the rest were all P < 0.01. There was a substantial statistical difference between F-NLR classifications, Fib and NLR. ⑤ F-NLR was found to be a predictive factor of death in patients with gastric cancer in COX regression analysis (P =0.000). ⑥ Patients with F-NLR scores of “ 0”, “ 1” and “ 2” had 5-year survival rates of 92.6%, 64.0% and 47.2%, respectively, and 3-year survival rates of 92.6%, 74.3% and 51.9%, respectively (all P =0.000).
Conclusion: The combination of Fib and NLR (F-NLR) improves the accuracy of prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.
Keywords: fibrinogen, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, F-NLR, gastric cancer, prognosis