Neutrophil and Lymphocyte Blood Count as Potential Predictive Indicators of Nivolumab Efficacy in Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Aim: We retrospectively evaluated the role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) as prognostic factors in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with nivolumab. Materials & methods: Medical records of 65 patients were reviewed. NLR and LMR were calculated at baseline (t0) and at first radiological tumor assessment (t1). Results: At univariate analysis, low NLR or high LMR values at t0 were associated with longer overall survival (p = 0.0001). At multivariate analysis including NLR and LMR at t0 and t1 and their trend, only NLR at t1 (p < 0.0001) and NLR trend (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with overall survival outcomes. Conclusion: Our study suggests that NLR value at first tumor assessment or NLR trend could be used as prognostic indicators during nivolumab treatment in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.

Keywords::

• LMR
• nivolumab
• NLR
• NSCLC
• predictive factors

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank L Giacomelli and A Shah for their editorial assistance with the preparation and creation of this manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The study has been conducted in accordance with rules of the local Ethics Committee and the Declaration of Helsinki. All patients had signed an informed consent to the use of their data for research purposes.