Diagnostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the role of elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and monocyte-to- lymphocyte ratio (MLR) in differential diagnosis of enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One-hundred-and-one patients (44 males, 57 females; mean age 53.6±11.5 years; range, 21 to 85 years) diagnosed with enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma in Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital between January 2010 and December 2019 were included in this retrospective study. Patients’ age, gender, location and type of tumor, and pre-treatment complete blood count results were acquired. One-hundred patients (48 males, 52 females; mean age 50.9±13.6 years; range, 19 to 76 years) with complete blood count results admitted to the same center for reasons other than fracture, infection or tumors with similar age and gender to the aforementioned study group were included as healthy controls. RESULTS: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and MLR of the study group were found to be significantly higher than the control group (p<0.001). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and MLR held diagnostic importance with statistically significant cut-off values. Statistically significant cut-offs for NLR and MLR were ≥2.0 (sensitivity=73.3%, specificity=67%) and ≥0.2 (sensitivity=76.2%, specificity=63%), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed adjusting for age and gender and NLR ≥2 [odds ratio (OR)=3.1] or MLR ≥0.2 (OR=2.9) were found to be associated with approximately three-fold risk for diagnosis of enchondroma or low-grade chondrosarcoma. CONCLUSION: The NLR and MLR have diagnostic value in cartilaginous tumors such as enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma. However, our results do not support utilization of NLR and MLR as diagnostic value for differentiation of enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma.