Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28418870›Full record

SynthesisOncotarget2017

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as prognostic indicator in gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Randy C Bowen, Nancy Ann B Little, Joshua R Harmer, Junjie Ma, Luke G Mirabelli, Kyle D Roller, Andrew Mackay Breivik, Emily Signor, Alec B Miller, Hung T Khong

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Oncotarget, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 83 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
83citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

83 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  9. Search for prognostic markers of mortality in inpatients receiving palliative chemotherapy.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Observational
  10. Clinical vulnerability to chemotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma: impact of nutritional status, frailty, and systemic inflammation.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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  20. Predictive utility of systemic inflammatory markers in differentiating laryngeal lesions.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article

23 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Randy C BowenDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Nancy Ann B LittleDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Joshua R HarmerDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Junjie MaDepartment of Pharmacotherapy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Luke G MirabelliDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Kyle D RollerDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Andrew Mackay BreivikDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Emily SignorDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Alec B MillerDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Hung T KhongDepartment of Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

An accurate, time efficient, and inexpensive prognostic indicator is needed to reduce cost and assist with clinical decision making for cancer management. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which is derived from common serum testing, has been explored in a variety of cancers. We sought to determine its prognostic value in gastrointestinal cancers and performed a meta-analysis of published studies using the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Included were randomized control trials and observational studies that analyzed humans with gastrointestinal cancers that included NLR and hazard ratios (HR) with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and/or cancer-specific survival (CSS).We analyzed 144 studies comprising 45,905 patients, two-thirds of which were published after 2014. The mean, median, and mode cutoffs for NLR reporting OS from multivariate models were 3.4, 3.0, 5.0 (±IQR 2.5-5.0), respectively. Overall, NLR greater than the cutoff was associated with a HR for OS of 1.63 (95% CI, 1.53-1.73; P < 0.001). This association was observed in all subgroups based on tumor site, stage, and geographic region. HR for elevated NLR for DFS, PFS, and CSS were 1.70 (95% CI, 1.52-1.91, P < 0.001), 1.64 (95% CI, 1.36-1.97, P < 0.001), and 1.83 (95% CI, 1.50-2.23, P < 0.001), respectively.Available evidence suggests that NLR greater than the cutoff reduces OS, independent of geographic location, gastrointestinal cancer type, or stage of cancer. Furthermore, DFS, PFS, and CSS also have worse outcomes with elevated NLR.

Indexed as

LymphocytesNeutrophilsGastrointestinal NeoplasmsHumansLeukocyte CountLymphocyte CountPrognosisProportional Hazards ModelsPublication BiasSurvival Analysisbiomarkersgastrointestinal cancersneutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratiooverall survivalprognostic indicator

Identifiers

PMID28418870
PMCPMC5458276

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.