| Abstrakt: |
Background/Aims Systemic inflammation in cancer patients is associated with tumor progression and poor outcomes. Inflammatory markers, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), have shown prognostic value across various malignancies. This study assesses their ability to predict short-term mortality in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed medical records of cirrhotic patients diagnosed with HCC at our center between January 2010 and December 2021. NLR and PLR were evaluated for their predictive performance in 18-month overall mortality using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and area under the curve (AUC). Results A total of 76 patients were included, with a mean age of 71±12 years, and 64.5% were male. Cirrhosis was predominantly of viral etiology (67%), and most patients had Child-Pugh class A (53%). Half received only best supportive care (50%), while 9.2% were treated with sorafenib, and others underwent resection (6.6%), radiofrequency ablation (7.9%), or transarterial chemoembolization (26.3%). During follow-up, 58 patients (76.3%) died within 18 months. Higher NLR and PLR values were significant predictors of 18-month mortality, with AUCs of 0.75 (p=0.001) and 0.69 (p=0.016), respectively. An NLR cutoff of 2.44 showed 70% sensitivity, 78% specificity, 91% positive predictive value (PPV), 44% negative predictive value (NPV), and 71% accuracy. A PLR threshold of 68 yielded 78% sensitivity, 56% specificity, 85% PPV, 43% NPV, and 72% accuracy. Conclusion Both NLR and PLR are valuable predictors of short-term mortality in HCC patients, with NLR showing stronger predictive accuracy. These markers may help in identifying high-risk patients and guiding treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
