Author(s)

Ryohei Oya^1,2, Yukinori Takenaka^1,3, Kengo Aoki¹, Hiroko Hamaguchi¹, Kazuya Takemura¹, Masayuki Nozawa¹, Takahiro Kitamura¹, Yoshifumi Yamamoto¹, Atsuhiko Uno¹

¹Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka General Medical Center, Osaka, Japan.
²Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
³Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kansai Medical Hospital, Osaka, Japan.

Aim: To assess the prognostic value of hematologic markers for cancers of the head and neck region, according to tumor site. Methods: We reviewed the data of 441 patients diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) between 2006 and 2014. Overall survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the hazard ratio (HR) for death, according to hematologic markers. Results: In the univariate analyses, hemoglobin concentration; leukocyte, neutrophil, monocyte, and platelet counts; and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio were associated with overall survival. In the multivariate analyses, hemoglobin concentration (HR 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38 - 0.78, p < 0.001) and leukocyte (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.11 - 2.23, p = 0.010), monocyte (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.25 - 2.73, p = 0.003), and platelet (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.24 - 3.57, p = 0.008) counts were independent prognostic factors for HNSCC. None of the hematologic markers were significant prognosticators for oral cancer. Leukocyte (HR 2.67, 95% CI 1.17 - 6.58, p = 0.018), monocyte (HR 4.04, 95%CI 1.85 - 8.56, p < 0.001), and platelet (HR 3.77, 95% CI 1.55 - 8.28, p = 0.005) counts were independent prognostic factors for laryngeal cancer. Conclusions: Several hematologic markers have prognostic significance for patients with HNSCC, however, the magnitude of the effect depends on the tumor site.

Biomarkers, Head and Neck Cancer, Hematologic Marker

Oya, R. , Takenaka, Y. , Aoki, K. , Hamaguchi, H. , Takemura, K. , Nozawa, M. , Kitamura, T. , Yamamoto, Y. and Uno, A. (2018) Prognostic Significance of Hematologic Markers in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 7, 55-65. doi: 10.4236/ijohns.2018.72008.