Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34790402›Full record

ArticleJournal of gastrointestinal oncology2021

Prognostic impact of lymphopenia and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio for patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma.

Brian De, Ethan B Ludmir, Craig A Messick, Matthew C Cagley, Van K Morris, Prajnan Das, Bruce D Minsky, Cullen M Taniguchi, Grace L Smith, Eugene J Koay and 3 more

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
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

12 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  8. HPV-driven cancer: from epidemiology to the HPV-driven tumor board proposal, everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Review
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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

13 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Brian DeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Ethan B LudmirDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Craig A MessickDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Matthew C CagleyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Van K MorrisDepartment of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Prajnan DasDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Bruce D MinskyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Cullen M TaniguchiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Grace L SmithDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Eugene J KoayDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Albert C KoongDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Radhe MohanDepartment of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Emma B HollidayDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · US

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Fabien Delerue · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOutcomes after definitive chemoradiation for squamous cell carcinoma are generally favorable. However, biomarkers to further yield prognostic information are desired. Treatment-related lymphopenia as well as an elevated baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio have been associated with worse survival in several cancer types. We evaluated absolute lymphocyte count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio at baseline and at treatment-related nadir in patients with anal cancer for associations with oncologic endpoints.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 428 consecutive patients with non-metastatic anal cancer treated with definitive, intensity-modulated radiation therapy-based chemoradiation. We analyzed absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte counts at several timepoints: pretreatment, weekly during treatment, and in the six weeks following treatment completion. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was calculated at baseline and treatment-related nadir. We estimated oncologic endpoints using life tables and compared them using the log-rank test. We conducted univariate and multivariable time-to-event analyses using Cox proportional hazards.

resultsMedian absolute lymphocyte count at baseline and nadir were 1.80 [interquartile range (IQR), 1.45-2.32] k/µL and 0.26 (IQR, 0.18-0.36) k/µL, respectively, and 31% developed treatment-related grade 4 lymphopenia. Median neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio at baseline and nadir were 2.34 (IQR, 1.68-3.30) and 8.80 (IQR, 5.86-12.68), respectively. Estimates of overall survival, local failure-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and freedom from colostomy at 5 years were 87%, 86%, 82%, and 88%, respectively. Baseline and nadir absolute lymphocyte count were not associated with selected outcomes on univariate analysis. On multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with death included T3-T4 disease, HIV-positive status, treatment break, and baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio >3. Baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio showed a trend toward association with distant progression or death (P=0.07). The 5-year overall survival estimates for patients with baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios ≤3 and >3 were 92.3% and 80.6%, respectively.

conclusionsLymphopenia during and after chemoradiation for anal cancer is common but does not appear to be associated with worse survival, recurrence, or metastases. However, elevated baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio was independently associated with overall survival, local recurrence-free survival, and DMFS. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical utility of baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio to guide treatment and follow-up.

Indexed as

anal cancerlymphopenianeutrophilneutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)Radiation

Identifiers

PMID34790402
PMCPMC8576202
OpenAlexW3208751121

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.