Prognostic Value of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Treated with GreenLight Laser Vaporization

Objective: An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is significantly associated with poor outcomes in many types of malignancies, including bladder cancer. However, the prognostic value of NLR in patients with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) treated with GreenLight photoselective vaporization of bladder tumor (PVBT) has not been well studied. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between NLR and survival outcomes in patients with NMIBC who underwent PVBT. Materials and methods: We retrospectively investigated 463 patients with NMIBC who underwent PVBT in Tianjin Union Medical center from January 2012 to January 2017. The patients were divided into two groups based on the NLR value (NLR >= 2.5 and NLR <2.5). Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were determined using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test. Results: Among 463 patients, age, tumor size, tumor focality, tumor grade, or tumor stage in the two groups did not differ significantly. The median follow-up was 40 months (range, 15-60). Thirty-eight patients (8.2%) died of any cause; 24 (5.2%) patients died of bladder cancer. In addition, 88 (19.0%) patients experienced disease recurrence. Elevated NLR was significantly associated with poor OS (chi(2) = 7.457, p = 0.002), CSS (chi(2) = 6.242, p = 0.012), and RFS (chi(2) = 5.372, p = 0.020) in patients with NMIBC who underwent PVBT. Conclusions: Elevated preoperative NLR was significantly associated with poor OS, CSS, and RFS, and it could be considered as an effective and convenient prognostic biomarker for patients with NMIBC who were treated with PVBT.