Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognosticator in Oral Cancer Patients

Objective To study the prognostic predictive value of the platelet lymphocyte ratio as a clinical parameter of the outcome of the Sudanese OSCC patients. Method Forty two oral cancer patients were selected for the study. The patients surgically managed in the period December 2018 to June 2020. The PLR was recorded and correlated with :the status of surgical margins, the lymphovascular invasion, the extranodal extension, the microscopic depth and the patient’s survival (dead/ alive). Result A ratio of 170 was considered to be a cut off point of the PLR; as patients with a ratio higher than 170 were found to have a bad prognosis. Twenty-four patients (59.5%) had a PLR higher than 170. Patients with PLR equal to 170 or less have 45% decrease in the odds of survival and 57% decrease in the odds of having positive lymph nodes. Thirty-three percent passed away. Conclusion The PLR is an affordable, practical and efficient way to predict an OSCC patient’s overall survival.