Table 1 Reports on the association between NLR and patient survival after resection of primary colorectal cancer

Walsh 2005 [7]

Retrospective

Colorectal

A: 30

None specified

For stages A-D:

3 patients

Not

24 months

Binary

OS: yes

OS: no

B: 80

specified

< 5 vs. ≥ 5

CSS: yes

CSS: no

C: 65

Pre-op

D: 26

For unresected:

unresected

29

during diagnosis

Total 230

Leitch 2007 [10]

Retrospective

Colorectal

I: 22

Infection or

Not specified

11

Not

36 months

Binary

Stages I-III

Stages I-III

II: 62

inflammatory

patients

specified

< 5 vs. ≥ 5

OS: no

OS: no

III: 65

conditions

CSS: no

CSS: no

IV: (liver mets) 84

Stage IV

Stage IV

OS: no

OS: no

Total 233

CSS: no

CSS: no

Ding 2010 [12]

Retrospective

Colon

IIA: 141

Adjuvant

< 1 week

Not

Not

Not

Binary

RFS: yes

RFS: yes

CT

before

specified

specified

specified

≤ 4 vs. > 4

Multiple

resection

The precise

primaries,

definition

polypolsis,

of RFS in

HNPCC,

respect of

infection or

censoring

haematological

is not

disorders

specified

Liu 2010 [5]

Retrospective

Rectum

I: 17

Synchronous or

Not specified

Not

All stage

Not

Binary

CSS: no

CSS: yes

II: 59

metachronous

specified

III or IV

specified

<2 vs. >2

III+IV: 47

cancer.

Not

Total 123

Lost to follow

specified

up

when

exactly 2

Hung 2011 [9]

Retrospective

Colon

II: 1040

Adjuvant

Before

Not

Excluded

46 months

Binary

OS: yes

OS: yes

based on

CT

resection

specified

<5 vs. ≥5

DFS: yes

DFS: yes

tumor

DFS not

registry

precisely

data

defined

Kwon 2012 [4]

Retrospective

Colorectal

I: 13

Emergency

1 day before

Not

150

Not

Binary

OS: yes

OS: no

II: 91

Surgery.

resection

specified

patients

specified

< 5 vs. ≥ 5

After

III: 88

Death < 30

adjusting for

IV: 8

days after

platelet/

Total: 200

surgery.

lymphocyte

Infection or

ratio

inflammatory

conditions

Chiang 2012 [11]

Retrospective

Colorectal

Curative

Anal cancer.

Pre-op

124

73

11.6

Binary

DFS: yes

DFS: yes

only

Primary site

undefined

patients

patients

months

≤3 vs. >3

undefined.

indefinite.

DFS not

Composite

Synchronous

not

precisely

TNM

colon & rectum.

excluded

defined

stage not

given;

Complicated

Total

presentations.

patients in

NLR survival

analyses = 3177

Mallappa 2013 [6]

Retrospective

Colorectal

297 patients.

Inflammatory or

Pre-op

excluded

Not

Not

Binary

DFS: yes

DFS: yes

haematological

undefined

specified

specified

< 5 vs. >5

Jass stage:

disorders.

DFS not

1: 90

Pre-op RT

Not

precisely

2: 71

Emergency

specified

defined

3: 58

resection.

when

4: 78

Non-curative.

exactly 5

Died ≤ 30 days

postoperatively.