Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio(NLR)as a Predictive Indicator of the Response to Nivolumab in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Hidetake Tachinami, Kei Tomihara, Atsushi Ikeda, Katsuhisa Sekido, Kotaro Sakurai, Shuichi Imaue, Kumiko Fujiwara, Ryuji Hayashi, Makoto Noguchi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) nivolumab has revolutionized the treatment for recurrent or metastatic advanced oral cancer. Because the response rate remains low, the identification of predictive indicators of the response to nivolumab is among the most critical issues. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)is a potential predictive marker of the response to nivolumab in patients with various cancer types. However, the utility of the NLR as a biomarker for predicting the response of oral cancer patients to ICIs is poorly understood. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the association between NLR and nivolumab treatment outcome in 13 patients diagnosed with recurrent or metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)treated with nivolumab at the Toyama University Hospital between December 2017 and December 2019. RESULTS: Complete response(CR)and partial response(PR)rates of 38.5%(5/13)and 0% (0/13), respectively, were observed in responders; stable disease(SD)and progressive disease(PD)rates of 7.7%(1/13) and 53.8%(7/13), respectively, were observed in non-responders. After nivolumab treatment, the median NLR among responders decreased to 3.3(3.0-3.9)from 4.1(3.7-4.3)during pre-treatment assessment and increased from 5.6(3.2- 9.2)at pre-treatment to 9.4(5.3-17.9)among non-responders. Moreover, patients with higher NLRs(≥5)in the post- treatment group had a significantly worse overall survival than those with lower NLRs(<5). Specifically, patients with a higher post-treatment NLR(≥10)had significantly worse outcomes for post-nivolumab salvage chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The NLR could be a useful marker for predicting the treatment response to nivolumab or post-nivolumab salvage chemotherapy in OSCC patients.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1485-1490
Number of pages6
JournalJapanese Journal of Cancer and Chemotherapy
Volume48
Issue number12
StatePublished - 2021/12/01

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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