Glucose to lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in cancer patients: Insights from NHANES data

Background

The glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR) is a crucial factor in predicting the prognosis of various cancers. Nevertheless, there is a lack of extensive research on the association between GLR and mortality rates among cancer patients.

Methods

This study utilized data from 1564 cancer patients who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) between 2001 and 2018.To assess the relationship between the glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR) and mortality rates in cancer patients, we employed a range of statistical techniques, including weighted Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate-adjusted Cox regression. Furthermore, we applied restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis to explore the potential non-linear association between these variables. To validate our findings, subgroup analyses were conducted to ensure the robustness and reliability of the results.

Results

Over a median follow-up period of 89 months, the cohort recorded 536 deaths, including 171 due to cancer and 365 from other causes. The Kaplan-Meier curve demonstrated that individuals in the higher quartiles of GLR faced significantly increased mortality risks compared to those in the lower quartiles. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that, among cancer patients, each one-unit increase in GLR was associated with a 5 % increase in all-cause mortality risk (HR = 1.05, 95 % CI: 1.02–1.08) and a 7 % increase in cancer-specific mortality risk (HR = 1.07, 95 % CI:1.01–1.14). Additionally, restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a non-linear relationship between GLR and mortality.

Conclusion

In cancer patients, elevated GLR levels are strongly associated with higher mortality from both all causes and cancer-specific deaths. This marker may serve as a reliable prognostic indicator in individuals with tumors.