Serum neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in prognosticating immunotherapy efficacy.

Aim: To examine neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in prognosticating immunotherapy efficacy.

Methods

A retrospective study of 156 patients with metastatic melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer on PD-1 inhibitors.

Results

Baseline NLR ≥5 was associated with worse progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.01-2.31; p = 0.043) but nonsignificant worse overall survival trend (HR: 1.51; 95% CI: 0.98-2.34; p = 0.064). PLR ≥200 was associated with worse overall survival (HR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.29-2.94; p = 0.002) and worse progression-free survival (HR: 1.894; 95% CI: 1.27-2.82; p = 0.002). NLR or PLR are prognosticating factors regardless of cancer types, with PLR having a stronger association with outcomes than NLR.

Conclusion

High baseline NLR or PLR (alone and combined) were associated with worse immunotherapy efficacy regardless of cancer type, indicating their potential role as an agnostic marker for immunotherapy efficacy.