Aim: Several studies reported the association of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the results remain controversial. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic value of PLR in NPC through meta-analysis. Materials & methods: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase and Web of Science was performed. Results: A total of 9 studies comprising of 3459 patients with NPC were included. The data demonstrated that an increased PLR predicted poor overall survival, progression-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. There was no significant association between PLR and sex, age, T stage, N stage, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage or intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Conclusion: This meta-analysis revealed that PLR might be a potential predicative biomarker of poor prognosis in patients with NPC.
Keywords: PLR; meta-analysis; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; prognosis; survival.