[Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in peripheral blood: a novel independent prognostic factor in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma].

To investigate whether neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood can be an independent prognostic factor in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Clinical data of 97 HNSCC patients who received surgical treatment in our department between January 2008 and January 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. The 97 patients were divided into low NLR group (NLR≤5, =69) and high NLR group (NLR>5, =28) according to the NLR in preoperative peripheral blood. The relationships of NLR and clinicopathological features were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used for univariate survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard model for multivariate survival analysis. The clinical stages were significantly different between high NLR group and low NLR group (<0.05), however, the age, gender, location, lymph node metastasis, smoking and alcohol of the two groups showed no significant differences (> 0.05 of all). Univariate survival analysis showed that smoking, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage and NLR value were risk factors for 3-year overall survival (OS) rate and relapse-free survival (RFS) rate of HNSCC patients (<0.05). The OS rate of high NLR and low NLR groups was 42.9% and 91.3%, and the RFS rate was 44.2% and 80.1%, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (<0.05 for both). Cox multivariate survival analysis showed that clinical stage and NLR were independent factors for prognostic evaluation of HNSCC patients (<0.05 for both). NLR level is significantly associated with clinical stage of HNSCC. High NLR is an independent prognostic rick factor and plays an important role in prognostic evaluation of HNSCC patients.