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Review
. 2023 Dec 18;13(12):1803.
doi: 10.3390/biom13121803.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in NSCLC, Gastrointestinal, and Other Solid Tumors: Immunotherapy and Beyond

Mirta Mosca  1   2 , Maria Concetta Nigro  1   2 , Rachele Pagani  1   2 , Andrea De Giglio  1   2 , Alessandro Di Federico  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in NSCLC, Gastrointestinal, and Other Solid Tumors: Immunotherapy and Beyond

Mirta Mosca et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

In the era of immunotherapy, identifying biomarkers of immune system activation has become a high-priority challenge. The blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been largely investigated as a biomarker in several cancer types. NLR values have been shown to mirror the tumor-induced inflammatory status and have been demonstrated to be a reliable prognostic tool across stages of disease and therapeutic approaches. When integrated with other biomarkers of response to immunotherapy, such as PD-L1, tumor mutational burden, and tumor-associated immune cells, the NLR may allow to further stratify patients with different likelihoods of deriving a significant clinical benefit. However, despite its accessibility, low cost, and easy interpretation, the NLR is still poorly used as a prognostic tool in daily clinical practice. In this review, we analyze the role of the NLR in defining the relationship between cancer and the immune system, its usefulness in daily clinical practice, and its relationship with other established or emerging biomarkers of immunotherapy outcomes.

Keywords: NLR; immunotherapy; neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; prognosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Association between neutrophile-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), immune cells, and survival outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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