Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Platelets and neutrophils take part in proliferation of cancer cells, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Studies on various cancer types showed relation between prognosis and absolute numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and the ratio in-between (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR). We aimed to evaluate NLR and PLR and their relation with features of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC).

Materials and methods: Electronic data of 330 patient with pathologic diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma were evaluated retrospectively. Two hundred and fifty five patients with other chronic diseases and medullary thyroid carcinoma and whose pathology reports and preoperative CBC data were unavailable were excluded. Clinical and laboratory features of 75 patients (63 female, 12 male) were analysed.

Results: The most common subtype was conventional type papillary thyroid cancer (n=46). Mean age was 46±12 years. 50 tumours were unifocal, 25 multifocal. Forty-two patients had tumour less than 1 cm in size, 33 had 1 cm or larger. Forty patients underwent radioactive iodine therapy or remnant ablation (RAI dose: 92±32 mCi). Preoperative and postoperative NLR and PLR were not different according to age (younger than or older than 45 years, focality (uni/multi focal), RAI history (absence/presence), tumour size (less than 1 cm or larger), invasion (n=11). When 2.5 was chosen as cut-off value for NLR, preoperative and postoperative PLR was significantly (P=0.0001 and P=0.046) different; age at diagnosis was also significantly different (P=0.002). There was a positive relation between preoperative and postoperative PLR (r=0.575, P=0.0001) and NLR values (r=0.431, P=0.004). NLR was also positively correlated with PLR both in pre- and postoperative period. Postoperative thyroglobulin data were available in 55 patients. It was negatively correlated with preoperative NLR (r=−0.354, P=0.008). Age was positively correlated with NLR (r=0.245, P=0.345). Tumour size was negatively correlated with postoperative PLR (r=−0.102, P=0.048).

Conclusion: Preoperative NLR and PLR does not predict clinical features of DTC. Association between pre- and postoperative PLR and NLR may be due to a continuum instead of causal relation. Unlike high NLR associated poor prognosis in other cancer types, higher NLR was observed in cases with lower thyroglobulin levels. CBC has no effect on thyroid cancer with indolent nature.