Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Marker for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Treated With Lenvatinib

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM: Lenvatinib is one of the few options for patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). However, tumor markers for ATC treated with lenvatinib is lacking. The aim of this study was to explore whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be a tumor marker for ATC treated with lenvatinib. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the prognostic significance of the NLR in 13 ATC patients treated with lenvatinib. RESULTS: The disease control rate was better in patients with lower NLR (<8; 89%) than higher NLR (≥8; 25%) (p=0.05). Median progression-free survival and overall survival were longer in patients with lower NLR than higher NLR (4.0 vs. 1.6 months, p<0.05; and 10.2 vs. 3.8 months, p<0.05, respectively). Patients whose NLR on day 14 decreased compared to baseline had a slightly higher overall response rate than patients without NLR decrease (42.9% vs. 0%, p=0.19). CONCLUSION: The baseline NLR is a potential prognostic marker, and the change of NLR can be an early indicator of response for ATC patients treated with lenvatinib.