To determine the predictive role of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the prognosis and survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis.
A retrospective cohort study of 96 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCP). Clinical and histological data, bloodwork and disease evolution information were collected. We determined neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios and analyzed their relationship to prognosis and survival.
The mean age of patients was 72,1 years. The average follow-up time for the sample was 3,8 years (CI 95%: 3,0-4,6). Compared to patients with NLR <3, those with NLR >3 presented a higher proportion of cancers in stages cN1 (29.7% vs 6.8%; p = 0,004), stages pT3 and pT4 (24,3% vs 9,5%; p = 0,05), and stages TNM III and IV (32,4% vs 10,2%; p = 0,01); additionally, there were more cases of perineural invasion in the NLR >3 patients (29,7% vs 10,2%; p = 0,03). The mean overall survival (OS) was 7,9 years (CI 95%: 6,2-9,6) and the cancer-specific survival (CSS), 1,3 years (CI 95%: 0,7-1,9). There were no differences in OS, CSS or in progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with NLR >3 compared to those with NLR <3 . However, in the Cox regression analysis, a higher NLR was independently associated (along with metastasis and need for adjuvant treatment) with lower PFS, with an HR: 1,27 (CI 95%: 1,02-1,57; p = 0,02).
The utilization of NLR in clinical practice can be considered an additional tool to aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis.
Archivos espanoles de urologia. 2022 Oct [Epub]
Inmaculada Díaz de Mera-Sánchez Migallón, Pedro Carrión-López, Pedro Jesús Fernández-Anguita, Laura Herraiz-Raya, Óscar Legido-Gómez, Antonio S Salinas-Sánchez
Servicio de Urología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Calle Hermanos Falco, Nº37 02006 Albacete, España.