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Updated: Jun 13, 2025
Lung Tumor Cell Recruitment Assay
Published on: February 26, 2019
Complete blood count parameters as potential predictive factors of brain metastases in lung cancer
Karol Marschollek1, Monika Kosacka2, Anna Pokryszko-Dragan1
1Department of Neurology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland.
Introduction:
Brain metastases are common and devastating complication of the lung cancer (LC) but predictive biomarkers for their risk are still lacking.
Objectives:
To analyze the relationships between complete blood count (CBC)-based and selected biochemical indices and occurrence of brain metastases in patients diagnosed with LC.
Patients And Methods:
The study was based on retrospective analysis of medical records of 217 patients diagnosed with LC and undergoing follow-up in one specialist center. Clinical and laboratory data on admission were determined, including: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR) and red cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR) and selected biochemical parameters. Relationships were evaluated between these parameters and occurrence of brain metastases, other distant metastases and death within 12 months of follow-up.
Results:
168 patients had the follow-up data for 6 months, and 128 - for 12 months. Brain metastases were detected in 41 patients and 1-year mortality rate was 17.61%. Patients who developed brain metastases during 12 months had significantly higher baseline NLR (4.66 vs 2.75, p<0.001), PLR (170.83 vs 142.42, p=0.03) and lower LMR (1.61 vs 2.33, p=0.008).In univariate analysis, higher leukocyte count (HR 1.08, p=0.016), neutrophil count (HR 1.11, p=0.0036), NLR (HR 1.09, p=0.005), d-dimer levels (HR 1.0002, p=0.0043), and lower LMR (HR 0.67, p=0.018) were significantly associated with the risk of developing brain metastases. Liver metastases were associated with lower LMR (1.69 vs 2.29, p=0.04), while metastases to the other lung - with lower PLR (126.52 vs 161.8, p=0.02) and higher LMR (2.51 vs 1.96, p=0.02) and RPR (0.184 vs 0.154, p=0.03). No significant relationships were found between CBC-based indices and mortality.
Conclusions:
CBC-based indices could be useful and easily accessible predictive markers of brain metastases in the patients with lung cancer.
