A recent study published in the Archives of Medical Science investigated whether neutrophil-to-mean platelet volume ratio (a blood test) was able to predict overall and cancer-specific survival in patients who had a nephrectomy for localised clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Three hundred and forty-four (344) patients who had a partial or radical nephrectomy for non-metastatic (localised) RCC were analysed. Patients with higher neutrophil-to-mean platelet volume ratios were more frequently diagnosed with advanced disease, tumour necrosis and higher tumour grade. Overall survival and cancer-specific survival were significantly shorter in patients with neutrophil-to-mean platelet volume ratio ≥ 0.41 compared to patients with neutrophil-to-mean platelet volume ratio < 0.41.

In conclusion, neutrophil-to-mean platelet volume ratio ≥ 0.41 was associated with lower overall and cancer-specific survival and could be used as a cheap biomarker for localised clear cell RCC patients treated with surgery.

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