Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio: lack of association with sentinel lymph node biopsy status and relapse‐free survival in cutaneous melanoma patients.

The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), calculated as the absolute neutrophil count divided by the absolute lymphocyte count in the peripheral blood, is believed to help risk-stratify cutaneous melanoma, thereby allowing healthcare providers to better select patients for interventions such as systemic adjuvant therapies. Relapse risk was almost four times higher for patients with a positive SLNB (HR 3.61, 95% CI 2.11-6.17) compared to SLNB-negative patients. This was unexpected as NLR had previously been associated with MSS in stage II/III melanoma patients[1] and OS in stage IV melanoma patients.[2] We conclude that the role of NLR in melanoma risk assessment remains uncertain. [Extracted from the article]

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