Prognostic Significance of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Having Distant Metastasis: A Comparison With Thyroglobulin-doubling Rate and Tumor Volume-doubling Rate
Yasuhiro Ito, Naoyoshi Onoda, Minoru Kihara, Akihiro Miya, Akira Miyauchi
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: To date, thyroglobulin-doubling rate (Tg-DR) and tumor volume-doubling rate (TV-DR) of metastatic lesions have been identified as dynamic prognostic factors for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact for another dynamic factor, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), for DTC with distant metastasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 321 patients in total, and NLR at the first detection of distant metastasis (initial NLR) was collected for 312. RESULTS: Patients with initial NLR >3 had a significantly poorer cause-specific survival than those with initial NLR ≤3. On multivariate analysis, initial NLR >3 was recognized as an independent prognostic factor together with Tg-DR >1/year, TV-DR >1/year, radioactive iodine-refractory distant metastasis, and distant metastasis to organs other than the lung. CONCLUSION: Careful observation and active therapies, including multitarget kinase inhibitors, are recommended for patients with NLR >3 at the first detection of distant metastasis or during follow-up.