Cumulative perioperative lymphocyte/C-reactive protein ratio as a predictor of the long-term outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

Systemic inflammatory response influences cancer development and perioperative surgical stress can affect the survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We developed a system to cumulatively assess perioperative inflammatory response and compare the prognostic value of various cumulative inflammatory and nutritional markers in patients with CRC. We assessed perioperative cumulative markers using the trapezoidal area method in 307 patients who underwent surgery for CRC and analyzed the results statistically. The cumulative lymphocyte to C-reactive protein (CRP) ratio (LCR) predicted survival more accurately than other well-established markers (sensitivity: 80.0%, specificity: 69.3%; area under the curve (AUC): 0.779; P\u2009 <\u2009 0.001). A low cumulative LCR was correlated with factors associated with disease development, including undifferentiated histology, advanced T stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and advanced TNM stage classification. A decreased cumulative LCR was an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) (Hazard Ratio (HR):5.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.42–11.2; P\u2009 <\u2009 0.0001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 1.88, 95% CI 1.07–3.31; P \u2009=\u2009 0.02), and its prognostic significance was verified in a different clinical setting. The cumulative LCR was correlated negatively with the intraoperative bleeding volume (P\u2009 < \u20090.0001, R \u2009=\u2009 −0.4). Combined analysis of cumulative and preoperative LCR could help stratify risk for the oncological outcomes of CRC patients. The findings of this study demonstrate the value of the cumulative LCR in the postoperative management of patients with CRC.