HALP (Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte, and Platelet) Score and Its Companions in Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Can They Predict Central Lymph Node Metastasis?

Background Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is one of the most common cancers with a favorable prognosis. The prognosis is most commonly associated with lymph node metastasis. We investigated whether there is a relationship between the hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score and PTC central region lymph node metastasis in the preoperative period. NLR (neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio), PLR (platelet/lymphocyte ratio), MLR (monocyte/lymphocyte ratio), PIV (pan-immune-inflammation value), PNI (prognostic nutritional index), SII (systemic immune-inflammation index) were analyzed as other predictive factors for PTC central region lymph node metastasis. Methods The data of 235 patients who were operated on for PTC and underwent additional central neck dissection in our clinic were analyzed retrospectively. The effect of the HALP score, NLR, PLR, MLR, PIV, PNI, and SII values on PTC central region lymph node metastasis was analyzed with univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. Results The HALP score, NLR, PLR, MLR, PIV, PNI, and SII had no statistically significant effect on the number of positive lymph nodes in the central region, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, extra-thyroidal invasion in PTC (p>0.050 for each). For PTC, stage progression was associated with a decrease in preoperative PNI (OR=0.871; p=0.019). Conclusion There was a significant negative correlation between PNI and the stage of the PTC. No significant correlation was found between the HALP score and prognostic predictors of papillary PTC central lymph node metastasis. This may be related to the fact that PTC is a type of cancer that does not affect biochemical parameters much.