Prognostic value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in ovarian cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was recently proposed as a prognostic factor of ovarian cancer. However, prognostic value of the LMR in ovarian cancer remains inconclusive. The study aimed to assess prognostic value of the LMR in ovarian cancer. METHODS: Seven common databases were comprehensively searched for relevant studies. The analyses were performed for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and clinical parameters. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to analyze OS and PFS. RESULTS: A total of 2343 patients with ovarian cancer were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that a low LMR predicted shorter OS (HR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.38–2.37, P < .01) and PFS (HR = 1.65 95% CI = 1.46–1.85, P < .01) when compared to a high LMR in ovarian cancer. Besides, a low LMR was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage (P < .01), earlier lymph node metastasis (P = .01), higher carbohydrate antigen-125 levels (P < .01), larger residual tumor (P < .01) and worse chemosensitivity (P < .01) when compared to a high LMR in ovarian cancer. CONCLUSION: Low LMR was associated with unfavorable survival in patients with ovarian cancer. LMR could serve as a prognostic biomarker of ovarian cancer.