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Serum inflammatory markers as prognostic marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with liver metastasis: a multi-center retrospective study

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Abstract

Background

This retrospective study investigated the prognostic value of serum inflammatory markers in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients, focusing on their association with overall survival (OS) and liver metastasis-free survival (LMFS).

Methods

The study included 314 NPC patients treated between 2010 and 2020. Clinical characteristics, treatment methods, and serum inflammatory markers were assessed. Patients were categorized into two groups of with and without liver metastasis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses were performed to investigate the prognostic value of serum inflammatory markers in NPC patients with and without liver metastasis.

Results

In the whole cohort, univariate Cox regression analysis singled out tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (HR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.44–4.90, p = 0.004) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.33–3.99, p = 0.009), which were significantly associated with poorer OS. In patients with liver metastasis, TNF-α and NLR could not independently predict OS. However, high TNF-α levels were independently associated with worse OS in patients without liver metastasis (HR (95% CI) = 2.75 (1.67–8.68), p < 0.001). High NLR levels could independently predict poor OS in both groups with (HR (95% CI) = 1.94 (1.77–6.38), p = 0.010) and without liver metastasis (HR (95% CI) = 1.58 (1.19–7.54), p = 0.009). Ultimately, TNF-α and NLR could not significantly predict LMFS.

Conclusion

This study highlights the prognostic significance of TNF-α and NLR in NPC patients, especially in those with liver metastasis. These inflammatory markers could serve as valuable indicators for assessing the prognosis of NPC patients. Further research is warranted to validate their clinical utility and explore potential therapeutic implications.

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Data availability

The data supporting the findings of this manuscript is available by the corresponding author and can be reached on request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Hossein Saboorifar

  2. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

    Yasamin Zafarani

  3. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Golsa Gholampour

  4. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Arman Roghani

  5. Department of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Arman Roghani

  6. Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital & Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China

    Feng Qiu

  7. Medicine Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik 808, Brussels, Belgium

    Dideir Dequaniter

  8. Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China

    Qiao Yu

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  1. Hossein Saboorifar
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  7. Qiao Yu
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by HS, YZ, GG and AR. The first draft of the manuscript was written by HS, FQ and DD. The project administration and final edit was conducted by QY. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qiao Yu.

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No conflicts of interest to disclose.

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The protocol of the present study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital of Nanchang University.

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Informed written consent was obtained from the patients to participate in the study. Besides, patients signed informed consent regarding publishing their data and photographs.

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Saboorifar, H., Zafarani, Y., Gholampour, G. et al. Serum inflammatory markers as prognostic marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with liver metastasis: a multi-center retrospective study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-024-08649-2

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