Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34658619›Full record

ArticleBiomarker insights2021

Prognostic Utility of Pretreatment Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Advanced Larynx Cancer.

Nikhil V Kotha, Rohith S Voora, Alex S Qian, Abhishek Kumar, Edmund M Qiao, Tyler F Stewart, Brent S Rose, Ryan K Orosco

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biomarker insights, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Prognostic Significance of the Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Preoperative Albumin-To-Globulin Ratio, Not Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio, Predicts Overall Survival After Total Laryngectomy.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
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

8 authors.

Nikhil V KothaSchool of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9737-5033
Rohith S VooraSchool of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Alex S QianSchool of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0599-2411
Abhishek KumarVeterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
Edmund M QiaoSchool of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Tyler F StewartDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Brent S RoseVeterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
Ryan K OroscoVeterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeNeutrophil-lymphocyte ratio has been explored as a prognosticator in several cancer types, but its association with larynx cancer outcomes is not well known. We aimed to identify an optimal NLR cutoff point and examine the prognostic utility of this biomarker in patients with locoregionally advanced larynx cancer treated with curative intent.

methodsIn the Veterans Affairs' (VA) national database, we identified patients with locoregionally advanced (T3-4N0-3M0) laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed between 2000 and 2017 and treated with curative intent. NLR cutoff points were calculated using Contal/O'Quigley's method. Outcomes of larynx cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and non-larynx cancer survival (NCS) were evaluated in multivariable Cox and Fine-Gray models.

resultsIn 1047 patients, the optimal pretreatment NLR cutoff was identified as 4.17 - 722 patients with NLR ⩽ 4.17, 325 patients with NLR > 4.17. The elevated NLR cohort had a higher proportion of T4 disease (39.4% vs 28.4%), node positive disease (52.3% vs 43.1%), and surgical treatment (43.7% vs 35.2%). In multivariable analysis, NLR > 4.17 was independently associated with worse OS (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.12-1.54,

conclusionIn locoregionally advanced larynx cancer treated with curative intent, we identified elevated NLR to be associated with inferior OS and CSS. Further prospective studies are needed to investigate pretreatment NLR and our identified 4.17 cutoff as a potential larynx cancer-specific marker for this high risk population.

Indexed as

laryngeal squamous cell carcinomaNeutrophil-lymphocyte ratioprognostic factorsVeterans Affairs (U.S.)

Identifiers

PMID34658619
PMCPMC8512256

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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.