Cancer Management and Research (Sep 2020)

Preoperative Risk Classification Using Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Albumin for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Radical Nephroureterectomy

  • Zhao Z,
  • Xie S,
  • Feng B,
  • Zhang S,
  • Sun Y,
  • Guo H,
  • Yang R

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 9023 – 9032

Abstract

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Zihan Zhao ,* Shangxun Xie ,* Baofu Feng, Shiwei Zhang, Yifan Sun, Hongqian Guo, Rong Yang Department of Urology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hongqian Guo; Rong YangDepartment of Urology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-25-83106666Email [email protected]; [email protected]: To improve the preoperative prediction of the outcomes of patients diagnosed with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), we explored various preoperative laboratory factors and established a prognostic risk stratification method.Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 232 UTUC patients who underwent RNU from September 2010 to October 2019 and analyzed their comprehensive clinicopathologic data and preoperative blood-based biomarkers. Kaplan–Meier analysis, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to assess the relationship between these factors and the prognosis.Results: The median follow-up and age were 24 months and 68.5 years, respectively. Preoperative elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR > 3.44) and decreased albumin (ALB < 39.8 g/L) were negatively correlated with progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Patients were sorted into three groups based on their NLR and ALB: the low-risk group (neither elevated NLR nor decreased ALB), intermediate-risk group (either elevated NLR or decreased ALB) and high-risk group (elevated NLR and decreased ALB). Their 5-year PFS rates were 77.8%, 52.6% and 32.3%; their 5-year CSS rates were 97.7%, 71.4% and 32.9%; and their 5-year OS rates were 92.7%, 70.4% and 29.2%, respectively (all P < 0.0001). ROC curves analysis showed that NLR plus ALB had a more accurate prognostic value (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Preoperative risk classification using NLR and ALB was identified as an independent prognostic factor for patients with UTUC. The combination of NLR and ALB may help to determine the most appropriate treatment options before RNU.Keywords: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, albumin, upper tract urothelial carcinoma, radical nephroureterectomy, risk classification

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