Neutrophil-to-Lymphocite Ratio (NLR) and C-reactive Protein (CRP) as New Markers in Diagnosis and Prediction of Colorectal Cancer

In the researchers' words

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. Overall survival (OS) remains poor, with 50% estimated 5-year survival. In Italy, current estimates indicate that in 2020 a number of 43.700 patients have been affected by colorectal cancer, with an increasing of diagnosed cases in both men and women. It is clear that it is worthwhile to investigate the evaluation of colorectal cancer which could reflect a different spread of screening programs or be the effect of different timing in the start of the programs themselves. To improve the overall survival of colorectal cancer patients, robust biomarkers for screening and predicting disease recurrence could help identify high-risk patients, facilitate a close patient follow-up, and decide appropriate treatment regimens during the postoperative care. Colonoscopy remains the most efficient method for detecting CRC, yet its general application in the setting of screening is limited due to the uncomfortable experience and the high costs. accumulating studies have revealed the potential of systemic inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, neutrophils, platelets, and lymphocytes, and also biomarker combination ratios \[(eg, CRP-albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)\] as prognostic biomarkers in different cancers,…