Prognostic factors of first-line docetaxel treatment in castration-resistant prostate cancer: roles of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients from Northwestern China

Objective To evaluate the potential role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with therapeutic response in patients who were treated with docetaxel for mCRPC. Materials and methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data from 111 consecutive patients who were treated with docetaxel for mCRPC from 2009 to 2016 in a single center from Northwestern China. Pretreatment baseline and follow-up data including age, PSA response, Gleason score, and cycle number were reviewed, and multivariable Cox regression models and Kaplan–Meier analysis were used to predict overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results In Kaplan–Meier analyses, the NLR (optimal threshold 3.3), total PSA response, number of chemotherapy cycles, stage T, baseline of PSA, albumin, presence of visceral metastases, and PSA level at the diagnosis of cancer were significantly associated with OS, respectively. In multivariable analyses, higher NLR (>3.3), PSA level at the diagnosis of cancer (≥162 ng/ml), number of chemotherapy cycles, and albumin (<40.5 g/l) were associated with increased risk of death, respectively. Meanwhile, young age, higher NLR, number of chemotherapy cycles, presence of visceral metastases, and poor PSA response were associated with shorter PFS. Conclusion NLR combined with PSA level at the diagnosis of cancer remains an important prognostic marker in predicting therapeutic outcome in Chinese men who receive chemotherapy for mCRPC.