Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio to Albumin Ratio and White Blood Cell to Hemoglobin Ratio as Prognostic Markers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Who Underwent Curative Hepatectomy

PURPOSE: Inflammation factors affect the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is not clear if the preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio to albumin ratio (NLRAR) and white blood cell to hemoglobin ratio (WHR) affect the prognosis of HCC post curative hepatectomy. We assessed the prognostic values of NLRAR and WHR in patients suffering from HCC who underwent curative resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 169 eligible HCC cases were reviewed. The optimal cut-off values for NLRAR and WHR were selected using the X-tile software. The overall survival (OS) rate was assessed following the Kaplan–Meier analysis method. The Log rank test and Cox proportional hazard regression model were also used to analyze the data. The prognostic values of NLRAR and WHR were calculated by analyzing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed for clinical benefits. RESULTS: The OS rate recorded for the high NLRAR group was poorer than the OS rate recorded for the low NLRAR group. Similar trends were observed for WHR. The NLRAR and WHR were the independent predictors of OS. The results were based on the multivariate Cox analyses method. Results obtained by analyzing the subgroups revealed that NLRAR and WHR could be used for the prognosis of HCC in tumor stage I-patients. The NLRAR–WHR scoring system (NWS) could be used to classify HCC patients into two cohorts with different prognoses. This scoring system was more efficient than NLRAR or WHR in predicting OS. CONCLUSION: The preoperative NLRAR and WHR are effective prognostic indicators for HCC in patients who underwent curative hepatectomy.