The prognostic value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in renal oncology: A review

Abstract : The neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio (NLR) is a biological marker of inflammation with a demonstrated prognostic value in the field of oncology. In this review we discussed the prognostic value of the NLR in renal cell carcinomas (RCC), where several multiparametric nomograms already existed. For localized RCC, a NLR <3 was predictive of a reduced risk of recurrence. In metastatic or locally advanced RCC, a NLR <3 predicted an increased overall survival, progression-free survivals and response to systemic treatment. In current practice the NLR is a simple costless prognostic factor with potential improvement in the prognostic performance of nomograms used in renal oncology.