Association between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer : a meta-analysis

Krishna Kotecha, Animesh Singla, Philip Townend, Neil Merrett

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: The prognostic role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been explored extensively in the literature. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the link between NLR and lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer. A method for increasing specificity and sensitivity of pre-treatment staging has implications on treatment algorithms and survival. Search Strategy: The relevant databases were searched as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flowchart. After selection, 12 full text articles that met the inclusion criteria were included for quantitative analysis. 2 x 2 squares were generated using lymph node positive/negative, and NLR high/low data. The effect size for each study was calculated using the DerSimonian-Laird random effects model. P values were calculated using the chi-square method. Finally publication bias was evaluated. All statistics were calculated using R Studio. Results: Meta-analysis showed a 1.90 times (odds ratio, with 95% CI 1.52-2.38) increase in risk of positive lymph node status with high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. This has significant implications for cancer screening and staging, as NLR is a highly reproducible, cost-effective, and widely available prognostic factor for gastric cancer patients. Additionally, high or low NLR values may have implications for management pathways. Patients with lymph node metastasis can be offered neo adjuvant chemotherapy, avoiding salvage therapy in the form of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, which is poorly tolerated. Conclusion: This meta-analysis shows an association between NLR and positive lymph node status in gastric cancer patients with implications for staging, as well as preoperative personalisation of therapy.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere29300
Number of pages10
JournalMedicine
Volume101
Issue number25
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Open Access - Access Right Statement

© 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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