Skip to main content
Log in

Prognostic impact of circulating monocytes and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio on previously untreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving platinum-based doublet

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Medical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The link between circulating lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and newly diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not fully defined. The study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic impact of LMR on survival outcomes in previously untreated metastatic NSCLC patients receiving platinum-based doublet. Chemotherapy-naive metastatic NSCLC patients undergoing platinum-based doublet were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical features regarding gender, age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, histology, absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), absolute monocyte count (AMC) and LMR were collected to determinate their prognostic impact on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Up to 370 patients were eligible for the study. By univariate analysis, ECOG performance status, histology, ALC, AMC and LMR were showed to be significantly associated with PFS and OS. In subsequent Cox multivariate analysis, non-squamous cell carcinoma, ALC ≥2.45 × 109/L, AMC <0.45 × 109/L and LMR ≥4.56 were demonstrated to be independently correlated with better PFS. In addition, independent favorable prognostic factors for OS were only limited to LMR ≥4.56 and non-squamous cell carcinoma, whereas ECOG performance status of 2 and AMC ≥0.45 × 109/L remained as independently inferior prognostic indicators for OS. Our findings implicate that circulating AMC and LMR are regarded as independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS in previously untreated metastatic NSCLC patients receiving platinum-based doublet.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. She J, Yang P, Hong Q, Bai C. Lung cancer in China: challenges and interventions. Chest. 2013;143(4):1117–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Schiller JH, Harrington D, Belani CP, et al. Comparison of four chemotherapy regimens for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2002;346(2):92–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Colotta F, Allavena P, Sica A, Garlanda C, Mantovani A. Cancer-related inflammation, the seventh hallmark of cancer: links to genetic instability. Carcinogenesis. 2009;30(7):1073–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kobayashi N, Usui S, Kikuchi S, et al. Preoperative lymphocyte count is an independent prognostic factor in node-negative non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2012;75(2):223–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhang J, Huang SH, Li H, et al. Preoperative lymphocyte count is a favorable prognostic factor of disease-free survival in non-small-cell lung cancer. Med Oncol. 2013;30(1):352.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Pollard JW. Tumor-educated macrophages promote tumor progression and metastasis. Nat Rev Cancer. 2004;4(1):71–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Huang JJ, Li YJ, Xia Y, et al. Prognostic significance of peripheral monocyte count in patients with extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma. BMC Cancer. 2013;13:222.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Li J, Jiang R, Liu WS, et al. A large cohort study reveals the association of elevated peripheral blood lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio with favorable prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. PLoS One. 2013;8:e83069.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lee YY, Choi CH, Sung CO, et al. Prognostic value of pre-treatment circulating monocyte count in patients with cervical cancer: comparison with SCC-Ag level. Gynecol Oncol. 2012;124:92–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Li ZM, Huang JJ, Xia Y, et al. Blood lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio identifies high-risk patients in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP. PLoS One. 2012;7:e41658.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Koh YW, Kang HJ, Park C, Yoon DH, et al. The ratio of the absolute lymphocyte count to the absolute monocyte count is associated with prognosis in Hodgkin’s lymphoma: correlation with tumor-associated macrophages. Oncologist. 2012;17:871–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Stotz M, Pichler M, Absenger G, et al. The preoperative lymphocyte to monocyte ratio predicts clinical outcome in patients with stage III colon cancer. Br J Cancer. 2014;110(2):435–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Pine SR, Mechanic LE, Enewold L, et al. Increased levels of circulating interleukin 6, interleukin 8, C-reactive protein, and risk of lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011;103(14):1112–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Shiels MS, Pfeiffer RM, Hildesheim A, et al. A circulating inflammation markers and prospective risk for lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013;105(24):1871–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Blackwell TS, Christman JW. The role of nuclear factor-κB in cytokine gene regulation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 1997;17:3–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Stathopoulos GT, Sherrill TP, Han W, et al. Host nuclear factor-kappaB activation potentiates lung cancer metastasis. Mol Cancer Res. 2008;6(3):364–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Botta C, Barbieri V, Ciliberto D, et al. Systemic inflammatory status at baseline predicts bevacizumab benefit in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. Cancer Biol Ther. 2013;14(6):469–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Qian BZ, Li J, Zhang H, et al. CCL2 recruits inflammatory monocytes to facilitate breast-tumor metastasis. Nature. 2011;475(7355):222–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wang R, Zhang J, Chen S, et al. Tumor-associated macrophages provide a suitable microenvironment for non-small lung cancer invasion and progression. Lung Cancer. 2011;74(2):188–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Chen JJ, Lin YC, Yao PL, et al. Tumor-associated macrophages: the double-edged sword in cancer progression. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(5):953–64.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ryder M, Gild M, Hohl TM, et al. Genetic and pharmacological targeting of CSF-1/CSF-1R inhibits tumor-associated macrophages and impairs BRAF-induced thyroid cancer progression. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54302.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pyonteck SM, Akkari L, Schuhmacher AJ, et al. CSF-1R inhibition alters macrophage polarization and blocks glioma progression. Nat Med. 2013;19(10):1264–72.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Huang JJ, Jiang WQ, Lin TY, et al. Absolute lymphocyte count is a novel prognostic indicator in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. Ann Oncol. 2011;22(1):149–55.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Mahmoud SM, Paish EC, Powe DG, et al. Tumor-infiltrating CD8+ lymphocytes predict clinical outcome in breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29:1949–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Tang Y, Xu X, Guo S, et al. An increased abundance of tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells is correlated with the progression and prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. PLoS One. 2014;9:e91551.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhong-Jun Xia.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lin, GN., Peng, JW., Xiao, Jj. et al. Prognostic impact of circulating monocytes and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio on previously untreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving platinum-based doublet. Med Oncol 31, 70 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-014-0070-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-014-0070-0

Keywords

Navigation