Complete Blood Count Score Model Predicts Inferior Prognosis in Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has a poor prognosis. Currently available prognostic scoring systems are inadequate. We therefore aimed to investigate the predictive values of complete blood counts (CBCs) in PCNSL.

The cohort of this retrospective study comprised 73 PCNSL patients. The predictive values of selected CBCs, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), were analyzed.

Ages and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) scores of PCNSL patients correlated with NLR, PLR, and SII values (p <0.05). Both age and MSKCC scores correlated with inferior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (p <0.05). High NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI were significant predictors of shorter PFS and OS (p <0.05). NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI were integrated to generate a "CBC score" model that accurately stratified PCNSL patients into three risk groups. The median PFS for low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups were 24 ((12.458-35.542), 17 (10.626-23.374), and 9 (8.893-19.107) months, respectively (p = 0.011), and the median OS were 33 (19.175-46.825), 18 (16.368-19.632), and 9 (6.521-11.479) months, respectively (p = 0.008). Multivariate Cox regression model showed that MSKCC score (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.791, p <0.001), PLR (HR = 1.003, p = 0.013), and CBC score (HR = 1.873, p = 0.011) were independent predictors for PFS, whereas MSKCC score (HR = 4.128, p <0.001), PLR (HR = 1.003, p = 0.005), and CBC score (HR = 1.907, p = 0.004) were independent predictors for OS.

The CBC score model may be a promising predictive system for PCNSL patients.