Pre-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer

To evaluate the prognostic significance of peripheral lymphocyte count and its derived inflammatory markers, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in a cohort of patients with gastric cancer (GC).In this retrospective study, the clinical characteristics and follow-up information, both pre- and post-operative within one week of laboratory findings, of 338 patients with GC who underwent radical gastrectomy were retrieved, and their prognostic significance was evaluated.Both lower pre- and post-operative lymphocyte counts and higher NLR and SSI were significantly related to advanced tumour (pT) and disease stages (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC]) in patients with GC. Log-rank survival analysis showed that, in addition to traditional pT, pN, pM, and AJCC stages, both lower pre- (p = 0.041) and post-operative (p = 0.002) lymphocyte counts and higher NLR (pPre-operative NLR is an independent prognostic factor for patients with GC and has stratified prognostic value for patients with AJCC stage III GC.