The Effect of Monocyte Count on Disease-Free Survival in Esophageal Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Inflammation plays a pivotal role in cancer development and prognosis. Peripheral blood test is a useful parameter in the evaluation of systemic inflammatory response. Previous studies have shown a relationship between monocyte count and prognosis in some solid tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the monocyte count assessed at diagnosis and disease-free survival and prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer.Materials and Methods: The retrospective study included 145 patients with esophageal cancer who presented to Van Training and Research Hospital Medical Oncology outpatient clinic between January 2015 and September 2020. The effect of monocyte count assessed in the blood samples taken at the time of diagnosis prior to the initiation of the treatment on disease-free survival was investigated.Results: The Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis determined a cut-off value of 515/μL for the monocyte count assessed at the time of diagnosis. Disease-free survival was 17.3 months (95% CI: 8.4-26.2) in patients with a monocyte count ≥515/μL as opposed to 38.5 months (95% CI: 28. 8-48.1) in patients with a monocyte count <515/μL. Moreover, low monocyte count at diagnosis was associated with significantly higher disease-free survival (p<0.001).Conclusion: It is considered that the proportional distribution of cells in peripheral blood count may reflect the severity of inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Our findings showed that monocyte count is a prognostic factor affecting disease-free survival in patients with esophageal cancer, regardless of histological subtype.