Influence of neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio in prognosis of glioblastoma multiforme

Since the initial work, a decade ago that the combination of C-reactive protein and albumin, the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), had independent prognostic value in patients with cancer, there have been more than 60 studies (>30,000 patients) that have examined and validated the use of the GPS or the modified GPS (mGPS) in a variety of cancer scenarios. The present review provides a concise overview of these studies and comments on the current and future clinical utility of this simple objective systemic inflammation-based score. The GPS/mGPS had independent prognostic value in (a) unselected cohorts (4 studies, >19,400 patients) (b) operable disease (28 studies, >8,000 patients) (c) chemo/radiotherapy (11 studies, >1500 patients) (d) inoperable disease (11 studies, >2,000 patients). Association studies (15 studies, >2,000 patients) pointed to an increased GPS/mGPS being associated with increased weight and muscle loss, poor performance status, increased comorbidity, increased pro-inflammatory and angiogenic cytokines and complications on treatment. These studies have originated from 13 different countries, in particular the UK and Japan. A chronic systemic inflammatory response, as evidenced by the GPS/mGPS, is clearly implicated in the prognosis of patients with cancer in a variety of clinical scenarios. The GPS/mGPS is the most extensively validated of the systemic inflammation-based prognostic scores and therefore may be used in the routine clinical assessment of patients with cancer. It not only identifies patients at risk but also provides a well defined therapeutic target for future clinical trials. It remains to be determined whether the GPS has prognostic value in other disease states. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disease progression in cancer is dependent on the complex interaction between the tumor and the host inflammatory response. There is substantial evidence in advanced cancer that host factors, such as weight loss, poor performance status and the host systemic inflammatory response, are linked, and the latter is an important tumor-stage-independent predictor of outcome. Indeed, the systemic inflammatory response, as evidenced by an elevated level of C-reactive protein, is now included in the definition of cancer cachexia. This review examines the role of the systemic inflammatory response in predicting survival in patients with primary operable cancer. Approximately 80 studies have evaluated the role of the systemic inflammatory response using biochemical or hematological markers, such as elevated C-reactive protein levels, hypoalbuminemia or increased white cell, neutrophil and platelet counts. Combinations of such factors have been used to derive simple inflammation-based prognostic scores, such as the Glasgow Prognostic Score, the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio and the platelet:lymphocyte ratio. This review demonstrates that there is now good evidence that preoperative measures of the systemic inflammatory response predict cancer survival, independent of tumor stage, in primary operable cancer. The evidence is particularly robust in colorectal (including liver metastases), gastro-esophageal and renal cancers. As described in this article, measurement of the systemic inflammatory response is simple, reliable and can be clinically incorporated into current staging algorithms. This will provide the clinician with a better prediction of outcome, and therefore better treatment allocation in patients with primary operable cancer. Furthermore, systemic inflammation-based markers and prognostic scores not only identify patients at risk, but also provide well-defined therapeutic targets for future clinical trials.

Components of the systemic inflammatory response, combined to form inflammation-based prognostic scores (modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), Prognostic Index (PI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI)) have been associated with cancer specific survival. The aim of the present study was to compare the prognostic value of these scores. Patients (n=27,031) who had an incidental blood sample taken between 2000 and 2007 for C-reactive protein, albumin, white cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, as well as a diagnosis of cancer (Scottish Cancer Registry) were identified. Of this group 8759 patients who had been sampled within two years following their cancer diagnosis were studied. On follow up, there were 5163 deaths of which 4417 (86%) were cancer deaths. The median time from blood sampling to diagnosis was 1.7 months. An elevated mGPS, NLR, PLR, PI and PNI were predictive of a reduced cancer specific survival independent of age, sex and deprivation and tumour site (all p<0.001). The area under the receiver operator curves was greatest for mGPS and PI. Specifically, in colorectal cancer, an elevated mGPS and PI were predictive of a reduced cancer specific survival independent of age, sex, deprivation and tumour stage (both p<0.001). The results of the present study show that systemic inflammation-based scores, in particular the mGPS and PI, have prognostic value in cancer independent of tumour site. Based on the present results and the existing validation literature, the mGPS should be included in the routine assessment of all patients with cancer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.