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Updated: Oct 3, 2026
Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
Published on: April 22, 2019
Systemic inflammatory markers as surrogate indicators of host immune response in predicting tumour aggressiveness in
Veeksha V Shetty1, Shilpa S Shetty1, Vinay Kumar Rajendra2
1Central Research Laboratory, Cellomics and Lipidomics, Nitte (Deemed to be University), KS Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA), Mangalore, India.
Background:
Inflammation is a hallmark of cancer and plays a critical role in tumour progression and prognosis. This study evaluates systemic blood count-based inflammatory markers in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and their correlation with clinicopathological features and personal habits.
Methods:
This prospective cross-sectional study included patients diagnosed with HNSCC whose clinicopathological data and haematological parameters were collected. The inflammatory ratios calculated included neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and systemic immune inflammation index (SII).
Results:
Higher NLR was significantly associated with haemoglobin (Hb) levels in males (P = .045), tumour stage (P = .037) and nodal stage (P = .015), while elevated MLR correlated with nodal stage (P = .024). Lower LMR was associated with an advanced tumour stage (P = .028). Increased SII showed a significant association with gender (P = .04), Hb levels in males (P = .037) and tumour stage (P = .05).
Conclusion:
Elevated NLR, MLR and SII, along with reduced LMR, were significantly associated with advanced tumour and nodal stages in HNSCC. These easily measurable blood-based markers may serve as potential indicators of tumour aggressiveness and aid in early risk stratification of patients.