Correlation of Inflammatory Markers, Survival, and COX2 Expression in Oral Cancer and Implications for Prognosis:

ObjectivePeripheral blood–derived inflammation-based scores, such as the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the combination of platelet count and NLR, have recently been proposed as prognostic markers in solid tumors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of inflammatory markers as predictive prognostic factors for locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In addition, we evaluated the potential correlation between systemic inflammation and local expression of COX2.Study DesignRetrospective chart review and histologic analysis.SettingTertiary referral academic center.Subjects and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 94 patients with advanced OSCC treated with surgery at our hospital between 2007 and 2015. The relationship among patient survival, systemic inflammatory markers, and local COX2 expression was evaluated. Local COX2 expression in surgical specimens was measured by immunohistochemistry.ResultsHigh NLR and high PLR we...