Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is a Major Prognostic Factor in Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma Patients Undergoing First Line Immunotherapy With Pembrolizumab.
2023Cancer diagnosis & prognosis
Romano FJ, Ronga R, Ambrosio F, Arundine D, Longo V +15 more
Plain English
This study looked at how the ratio of two types of white blood cells—neutrophils and lymphocytes—can help predict survival in patients with advanced lung cancer who were treated with a specific immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab. They found that patients with a higher immune cell ratio (above 4.8) had an average survival of just 7.6 months, while those with lower ratios lived much longer, averaging 34.8 months. This information is important because it helps doctors identify which patients might respond poorly to treatment and need different approaches.
Who this helps: This helps doctors and patients by guiding treatment decisions in advanced lung cancer cases.