Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with survival and sentinel lymph node positivity in invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective study

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a known prognostic biomarker for survival and is predictive of sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity in some cancers. However, its usefulness as a prognostic biomarker for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) has not been fully investigated. Objective: Our objective was to investigate the relationship between the NLR and the disease-specific survival and SLN positivity in patients with cSCC. Methods: In this single-center retrospective case series, we analyzed patients with cSCC who underwent blood tests prior to the initiation of treatment at our oncology hospital. The relationship between the patients' clinical characteristics (including the NLR) and the disease-specific survival and SLN positivity was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: An elevated NLR was an independent prognostic factor for poor disease-specific survival and a predictive factor for SLN positivity. Limitations: Limitations include the small number of participants and selection bias due to the large proportion of high-risk cases in our patient population. Conclusion: NLR is a useful biomarker in cSCC because it is simple to measure and can predict prognosis.