Cisplatin or carboplatin? Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio may serve as a useful factor in small cell lung cancer therapy selection.

The present study aimed to investigate the significance of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) when selecting a first-line treatment. A total of 73 patients with SCLC who had complete clinical data and sought treatment at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between January 2014 and May 2016 were included. Data were retrospectively analyzed, utilizing a receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the NLR cut-off value. Out of the 73 patients, 39 were classified as high-NLR (NLR ≥3.80) and 34 as low-NLR (NLR <3.80). Compared with the high-NLR group, patients in the low-NLR group had a longer progression free survival (PFS); however, there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS) time. Patients with a high NLR had a significantly longer PFS (P=0.021) and OS time (P=0.042) when treated with a etoposide/cisplatin (EP) therapy regimen, compared with those treated with etoposide/carboplatin (EC). PFS was the longest in the high-NLR patients with limited stage (LS; P=0.002). Among the patients receiving the EC regimen, the PFS of the low-NLR group was significantly longer compared with the high-NLR group (P=0.003). Patients in the low-NLR group who received thoracic radiotherapy had a longer PFS (P=0.011), when comparing patients in the low-NLR group who did not receive thoracic radiotherapy, and within this group the therapeutic effect of radiation was the greatest in LS patients. Compared with the high-NLR group, the low-NLR group patients who received cranial radiotherapy had a significantly longer PFS (P=0.039). For the initial evaluation of patients with SCLC, pre-treatment NLR may be of significance for selecting first-line chemotherapy agents. As the present study was retrospective and investigated a limited number of patients, further research and prospective studies are warranted.