Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma prognosis

Introduction: Recently, the prognostic value of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been widely evaluated in multiple malignancies. However, its prognostic value in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial. Herein, we perform a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic value of the preoperative LMR in ESCC. Methods: Relevant studies were systematically retrieved from the online Cochrane, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases published until March 2018. Data from studies reporting a hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were weighted by genetic inverse-variance and pooled in either fixed-effects models or random effects meta-analysis. Seven eligible studies involving 1701 patients were analyzed in this meta-analysis. Results: The synthesized analysis showed that patients with low LMR had a significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.58-0.78, p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS)/progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.50-0.92, p = 0.01). Additionally, low LMR was correlated with TNM stage (III-IV vs. I-II; HR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.16-3.22, P = 0.01) and tumor recurrence (yes vs. no; HR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.06-2.77, P = 0.03). Conclusion: Low LMR was associated with advanced clinicopathological features and poor prognosis as a predicative biomarker in patients with ESCC.