Prognostic significance of platelet lymphocyte ratio in patients with melanoma: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the prognostic role of platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with melanoma through performing a meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched for potential studies. The basic characteristics and relevant data were extracted. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to evaluate the prognostic role of PLR in patients with melanoma. RESULTS: Ten studies enrolling 2422 patients were included. The pooled hazard ratios of higher PLR for overall survival and progression-free survival in melanoma were 1.70 (95% CI, 1.22–2.37) and 1.65 (95% CI, 1.10–2.47), respectively. Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analyses were also performed. No significant publication bias was observed. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that higher PLR was associated with poorer overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with melanoma. These findings may help to determine the prognosis and explore future novel therapies based on modulating inflammation and immune responses in melanoma.