Prognostic value of baseline and absolute change of inflammatory markers in patients with thymic epithelial tumors

This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of baseline and absolute changes of inflammatory markers in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). This real-world study enrolled 147 patients. Inflammatory markers, including baseline and absolute changes of platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), platelet-to-monocyte (PMR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte (LMR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), were retrospectively collected. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Lasso and multivariate Cox regression were conducted to assess the relationship between disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and inflammatory markers. Predictive nomograms were constructed by variables identified in Cox regression. Higher baseline NLR and PLR, lower baseline LMR and PMR, a greater change in PLR and smaller changes in LMR, PMR, and PNR related to inferior DFS and OS. Multivariate Cox regression identified higher baseline PLR and advanced Masaoka Stage were risk, while higher baseline PMR was protective OS factors. Age, higher baseline PLR, and advanced Masaoka Stage were risk DFS factors. A greater absolute PLR change and metastasis were risk, while a lower absolute PMR change was protective OS factors. Age and a greater absolute PLR change were risk, while a greater absolute LMR change was favorable DFS factors. The present study is the first to reveal the prognostic role of the baseline and absolute changes of inflammatory markers in TETs. The prognostic models based on these inflammatory markers offer promising tools for predicting the prognosis of TET patients.