Preoperative Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Albumin Level as Predictors for Postoperative Complication in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Purpose: Systematic inflammatory response biomarkers are recognized as potential prognostic factors for colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a possible marker for predicting the outcomes of patients with CRC. The purpose of the current study was to determine if NLR could function as a predictive marker of postoperative complications in patients with colorectal cancer who were treated surgically. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seven patients who underwent radical surgery for colorectal cancer were enrolled in the study. The NLR values were determined from the complete blood counts within one month before surgery. Values of less than or greater than 3 were defined as low (NLR-low) or high (NLR-high), respectively. Statistical comparisons were made between the NLR and the clinical-pathological variables. Results: Sixty-eight patients met the criteria of NLR-low, and 39 patients were categorized as NLR-high. The NLR status was significantly correlated with T-stage, perineural invasion, and an increased likelihood of complications. Univariate analysis indicated that both low albumin and meeting the criteria for the NLR-high group correlated with an increased occurrence of complications (P=0.004, P=0.004, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified NLR-high and low albumin levels as independent predictors for complications (P=0.007, odd ratio=6.405, P=0.016, odd ratio=9.641, respectively) Conclusion: The current results suggest that the preoperative NLR levels could be useful tools for predicting the occurrence of postoperative complications.