Blood-cell ratios were associated with oral cancer survival
Higher pretreatment NLR and PLR were linked to poorer survival, but differing methods and thresholds limit their use for individual predictions.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
This abstract-based review of observational studies linked higher pretreatment ratios of neutrophils or platelets to lymphocytes with poorer survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma. These associations do not show that changing the ratios changes cancer outcomes. The authors call for prospective validation using consistent thresholds before relying on these markers for risk assessment.
Results differed moderately to substantially across studies, and effect sizes varied with study design and marker thresholds. Observational associations cannot establish cause and effect.
What researchers found
Overall survival and high pretreatment NLR
High NLR was associated with 1.59 times the reference group's death hazard: the rate of dying at a given point among people still alive. Reference category and follow-up duration were unspecified.
Which markers were assessed
Researchers assessed neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean platelet volume before treatment. Both ratios were associated with overall and disease-free survival; findings for mean platelet volume were inconsistent and were not pooled.
What the estimate cannot tell us
The hazard ratio compares death rates during follow-up, not an individual's probability of survival. The abstract provides neither standardized marker thresholds nor a common follow-up period, limiting interpretation for an individual patient.
The original publication
Hematological parameters as predictors of oral cancer prognosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Alshahrani AM, Kaur K, Saini RS et al.
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41402518
- Record checked
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