Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of survival after reductive surgery plus percutaneous isolated hepatic perfusion for hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective analysis

Purpose We assessed the predictive value of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients who underwent a two-stage treatment combining reductive surgery and percutaneous isolated hepatic perfusion for multiple hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Methods Forty-two patients underwent the two-stage treatment between January 2000 and December 2014 at Kobe University Hospital (Hyogo, Japan). The NLR was calculated from lymphocyte and neutrophil counts in the preoperative routine blood test. Clinical data and overall survival were compared statistically and multivariate analysis was done to identify prognostic factors. Results The median survival of patients with a preoperative NLR > 2.3 was 14.9 months ( n = 13), whereas that of patients with a preoperative NLR ≤ 2.3 was 26.1 months ( n = 29; P = 0.022). A preoperative NLR > 2.3 was an independent prognostic factor in patients with multiple HCC with PVTT [hazard ratio (HR) 2.329; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.058–5.667; P = 0.036]. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, an elevated preoperative NLR is an independent predictive risk factor for patients undergoing two-stage treatment for multiple HCC with PVTT.