Prognostic Significance of Pre-surgical Combined Platelet Count and Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background/Aim: Recent studies have investigated a novel inflammation-based prognostic system using the combination of platelet count and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (COP-NLR). As platelet count decreases with liver damage, we hypothesized that COP-NLR could indicate both inflammation and hepatic reserve in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was conducted to clarify the prognostic significance of preoperative COP-NLR in patients with HCC. Patients and Methods: We enrolled 176 patients with histologically-proven HCC who underwent initial curative hepatectomy. Patients were assigned one point each for low platelet count (