Is Preoperative Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio a Reliable Prognostic Parameter for Localized Prostate Cancer?

Objective In spite of all efforts, prostate cancer is still the 2nd highest cause of cancer-related deaths in men. For this reason new developments are needed in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of prostate cancer. Neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio is a cheap and effective parameter used for research into many solid tumors; but there are not enough studies on the reliability of this parameter in prostate cancer. In this study we researched the efficacy of N/L ratio in localized prostate cancer. Materials and Methods Between March 9, 2012 and April 23, 2017, the data of 140 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy with localized prostate cancer were screened retrospectively. The patients’ ages, preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) and N/L ratio, pathologic stage, pathologic Gleason score, tumor volume, lymph node involvement, surgical margin positivity and presence or absence of 3rd month biochemical recurrence were noted. The correlations between N/L ratio with age, PSA, pathologic parameters, surgical margin positivity and biochemical recurrence were investigated. Results The mean age of patients was 63.0±5.9 years, mean PSA value was 10.8±8.5 ng/mL and mean N/L ratio was 2.5±1.9. There was no correlation found between N/L ratio and PSA, pathologic stage, Gleason score, lymph node involvement, tumor volume, surgical margin positivity and biochemical recurrence (p>0.05). Conclusion In our study investigating 140 patients with localized prostate cancer, we did not identify any correlation between N/L ratio and PSA, surgical stage and Gleason score, surgical margin positivity, and 3rd month biochemical recurrence. When the literature is investigated, it appears that N/L ratio is effective for metastatic prostate cancer. To provide a more accurate judgment of the role of N/L ratio in localized prostate cancer, there is a need for new studies with broader patient series.