Serum inflammatory markers as prognostic marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with liver metastasis: a multi-center retrospective study

Background This retrospective study investigated the prognostic value of serum inflammatory markers in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients, focusing on their association with overall survival (OS) and liver metastasis-free survival (LMFS). Methods The study included 314 NPC patients treated between 2010 and 2020. Clinical characteristics, treatment methods, and serum inflammatory markers were assessed. Patients were categorized into two groups of with and without liver metastasis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses were performed to investigate the prognostic value of serum inflammatory markers in NPC patients with and without liver metastasis. Results In the whole cohort, univariate Cox regression analysis singled out tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (HR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.44–4.90, p = 0.004) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.33–3.99, p = 0.009), which were significantly associated with poorer OS. In patients with liver metastasis, TNF-α and NLR could not independently predict OS. However, high TNF-α levels were independently associated with worse OS in patients without liver metastasis (HR (95% CI) = 2.75 (1.67–8.68), p