Prognostic significance of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with ovarian cancer A systematic review and meta-analysis

The prognostic role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with ovarian cancer remains inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of this biomarker for prognoses in ovarian cancer patients. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for eligible studies embracing multivariate results. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were used to assess the study quality. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Ten studies involving 2919 patients were included in this meta-analysis. In multivariate analysis, the group with higher NLR had worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.16-1.54) and shorter PFS (HR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.17-1.57) than the control group. Furthermore, PLR values higher than the cut-off were associated with not only poorer OS (HR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.61-2.40) but also more unfavorable PFS (HR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.46-2.20). Univariate analysis also indicated the same results. Additionally, subgroup analysis showed that when the cut-off values for NLR and PLR were higher, their predictive effects became stronger. This comprehensive meta-analysis suggested that the values of inflammatory marker of NLR was associated with ovarian cancer survival. Therefore, inflammatory markers can potentially serve as prognostic biomarkers.