The Prognostic Value of the Preoperative Lymphocyte Count in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Kang, Shin Yong; Yu, Wan Sik; Chung, Ho Young; Park, Sung Hun

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the peripheral blood lymphocyte count before surgery in those patients with gastric cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study group was comprised of a series of 1,054 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy. The appropriate lymphocyte count cutoff value was determined. The prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.
RESULTS
The lymphocyte count cutoff value was 1,500/ul. The patients were classified into two groups: Group A had a lymphocyte count > or =1,500/ul (n=765) and Group B had a lymphocyte count <1,500/ul (n=289). There were statistically significant differences between the groups according to their age (P<0.001), the tumor stage (P=0.038) and the tumor size (P<0.001). The 5- and 10-year survival rates of Group A were 80.1% and 76.6%, respectively and those of Group B were 72.4% and 63.5%, respectively (P=0.002). When multivariate analysis was performed by the Cox proportional hazards model, the lymphocyte count was not an independent prognostic factor.
CONCLUSION
Although the prognosis of patients with a high lymphocyte count was better than that of the patients with a low lymphocyte count, our results did not support using the preoperative peripheral blood lymphocyte count as an independent prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer.