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. 2021 Jun;60(6):704-713.
doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2021.1886323. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in urological tumors: an umbrella review of evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Georges Mjaess  1   2 , Roy Chebel  2 , Aya Karam  2 , Ilan Moussa  1 , Dominique Pretot  1 , Georges Abi Tayeh  2 , Julien Sarkis  2 , Albert Semaan  2 , Alexandre Peltier  3 , Fouad Aoun  2   3 , Simone Albisinni  1 , Thierry Roumeguère  1   3
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Prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in urological tumors: an umbrella review of evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Georges Mjaess et al. Acta Oncol. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been studied as a biomarker for cancer prognosis, predicting survival in many tumors. The aim of this umbrella review was to combine the results from all systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to the prognostic role of the NLR in patients with urological tumors.

Methods: A PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane search was undergone from inception through September 2020 for systematic reviews and meta-analyses investigating the prognostic value of NLR in urological tumors, subdivided into prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial bladder and upper tract carcinomas PROSPERO (CRD42020216310).

Results: The results have shown, with a high level of evidence, that an elevated NLR predicts worse overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in prostate cancer, worse OS, PFS and RFS in renal cell carcinoma, worse OS, PFS, RFS and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in muscle invasive bladder cancer, worse PFS and RFS in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, and worse OS, PFS, RFS and CSS in urothelial upper tract carcinoma.

Conclusion: NLR has a significant prognostic value in urological tumors and should be included in prognostic scores of these cancers.

Keywords: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; bladder cancer; kidney cancer; prostate cancer; upper tract carcinoma.

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