Significance of changes of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer

Objective To investigate the significance of changes of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer. Methods The data of 86 patients with rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant therapy from November 2013 to January 2015 in Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and the correlations of NLR and PLR changes with the patients' clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutic effects were also analyzed. Results There were 43 cases of increased NLR and 43 cases of increased PLR after treatment. NLR and PLR changes before and after neoadjuvant therapy in patients with rectal cancer were not associated with age, gender, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, number of cancer nodules, and tumor diameter (all P > 0.05). The increasing proportion of NLR and PLR after treatment in patients with the distance from the tumor to anus 0.05). Conclusion NLR changes are associated with therapeutic efficacy before and after neoadjuvant therapy for patients with rectal cancer. Key words: Rectal neoplasms; Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio; Neoadjuvant therapy