Changes of platelet times neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predict BCLC stage A hepatocellular carcinoma survival

Platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte ratio (PNLR) has its own unique role in influencing postoperative recurrence for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Surgical stress can change systemic inflammatory response of patients. Thus the aim of this study was to identify the prognostic value of changes of platelet times neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in hepatitis B related HCC within Barcelona clinical liver cancer (BCLC) stage A. Data of patients with HCC within BCLC stage A were reviewed. Pre-, intra- and postoperative variables were retrospectively and statistically analyzed. The postoperative variable was calculated based on the data obtained on the first postoperative month following liver resection. A total of 556 patients were included in present study. During the follow-up period, 257 patients experienced recurrence and 150 patients died. Multivariate analyses suggested multiple tumors (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.409; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.649–3.518; P < .001), microvascular invasion (MVI) (HR = 1.585; 95% CI = 1.219–2.061; P = .001), and increased postoperative PNLR (HR = 1.900; 95% CI = 1.468–2.457; P < .001) independently associated with postoperative recurrence, whereas MVI (HR = 1.834; 95% CI = 1.324–2.542; P < .001), postoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR = 1.151; 95% CI = 1.025–1.294; P = .018) and increased postoperative PNLR (HR = 2.433; 95% CI = 1.667–3.550; P < .001) contributed to postoperative mortality. The 5-year recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates of patients with increased postoperative PNLR (N = 285) versus those with decreased postoperative PNLR (N = 271) were 36.8% versus 61.5% and 47.6% versus 76.4% respectively (P < .001). Changes of PNLR was a powerful prognostic indicator of poor outcomes in patients with HCC within BCLC stage A. PNLR should be monitored in our postoperative follow-up.