The Prognostic Value of Preoperative Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Colorectal Cancer

ABSTRACT Background The prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported in several cancers included colorectal cancer; however, it is not clear if there is an association between NLR and cancer-specific survival in colorectal cancer. And the optimal cut-off value is controversial. This study was designed to assess the prognostic value of preoperative NLR in colorectal cancer patients. Methods Total 823 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for all stages of colorectal cancer in our hospital between January 2006 and December 2011 were included in the study. Preoperative NLR was calculated from their hospital records. Results Using the receiver-operating characteristic curve, we found that the optimal preoperative NLR cut-off value that was strongly associated with cancer-specific survival was 2.1. Using this value, 505 patients were identified as having high NLR (≥2.1) and 397 patients were identified as having low NLR (