Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in predicting postoperative complications and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer

Introduction: Biological markers of inflammation are among the main tools for predicting the risk of developing postoperative infectious complications at the preclinical stage. One of these biomarkers is the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), but the insufficient number of studies does not allow judging its value as a marker of infectious complications in colorectal surgery. Aim: Aim of the study to determine the predictive value of the neutrophil-leukocyte ratio as a predictor of infectious complications after colon surgery. Methods: From September 2018 to December 2021, 234 patients were enrolled in the study after colon surgery. The frequency of infectious complications, the differences in the levels of NLR in patients with and without infectious complications were determined. Results: One hundred and thirty-seven patients met the criteria of NLR-low, and 97 patients were categorized as NLR-high. The NLR status was significantly correlated with T-stage, perineural invasion, and increased likelihood of complications. Univariate analysis indicated that both low albumin and meeting the criteria for the NLR-high group correlated with an increased occurrence of complications. Multivariate analysis identified NLR-high and low albumin levels as independent predictors for complications. Conclusion: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is a reliable predictor inpredicting the risk of developing infectious complications in colorectal surgery. In addition, low values of this biomarker are a significant criterion for a safe discharge of patients from hospital. The prevalence and availability of this test makes it easily reproducible in clinical practice.