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Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as an independent predictor for survival in patients with localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation: a propensity score matching analysis

International Urology and Nephrology volume 49, pages 967–974 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic indicator in patients with localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated with radiofrequency ablation.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from patients with renal cell carcinoma who underwent radiofrequency ablation from 2006 to 2013. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to generate the survival curves according to different categories of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Relationships between preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio or the change of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and survival were evaluated with multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. A propensity score matching analysis was carried out to avoid confounding bias.

Results

A total of 185 patients were included in present study. When stratified by preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio cutoff value of 2.79, 5-year recurrence-free survival, 5-year disease-free survival, and 5-year overall survival rates of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio <2.79 versus ≥2.79 were 100, 98.5, and 99.2% versus 80.5, 72.6, and 90.6%, respectively (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.003). In terms of propensity score matching analysis, 5-year recurrence-free survival, 5-year disease-free survival, and 5-year overall survival rates of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio <2.79 versus ≥2.79 were 100, 97.9, and 100% versus 82.3, 73.4, and 89.4%, respectively (P = 0.003, P = 0.001, P = 0.022). When combining preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with the change of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, patients with both preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥2.79 and the change of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥0.40 had the worst disease-free survival. Results of multivariable analysis showed that preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the change of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio correlated with cancer relapse remarkably.

Conclusions

High preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and elevated postoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are associated with significant increase in risk of local recurrence as well as distant metastasis. The combination of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with the other prognostic indicators can be applied in the evaluation of relapse risk in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Abbreviations

ccRCC:

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma

RFA:

Radiofrequency ablation

NLR:

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio

OS:

Overall survival

RFS:

Recurrence-specific survival

DFS:

Disease-free survival

CBC:

Complete blood count

ANC:

Absolute neutrophil count

ALC:

Absolute lymphocyte count

CT:

Computed tomography

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Jiangsu Graduate Student Innovation Grant (No. KYZZ15_0066) and Excellent Doctoral Dissertations Cultivation Fund from Southeast University.

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Affiliations

  1. Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaofeng Chang & Hongqian Guo

  2. Department of Urology, The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaofeng Chang, Fan Zhang, Tieshi Liu, Wei Wang & Hongqian Guo

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano-Science and Technology, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Technologies, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaofeng Chang

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  1. Xiaofeng Chang
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  2. Fan Zhang
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  3. Tieshi Liu
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  4. Wei Wang
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  5. Hongqian Guo
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Correspondence to Hongqian Guo.

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Chang, X., Zhang, F., Liu, T. et al. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as an independent predictor for survival in patients with localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation: a propensity score matching analysis. Int Urol Nephrol 49, 967–974 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-017-1554-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-017-1554-6

Keywords

  • Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio
  • Kidney neoplasms
  • Ablation techniques
  • Survival