Parametrial involvement in cervical cancer is associated with systemic inflammatory indices: a retrospective observational study

The study examined the association between parametrial involvement (tumor extension into tissue surrounding the cervix) and systemic inflammatory markers in blood samples from 79 patients with cervical cancer treated with surgery and/or radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Researchers analyzed five inflammatory indices calculated from pre-treatment blood tests: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and others. Four of the five indices, including the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, were significantly higher in patients with parametrial involvement. After adjustment for additional factors, only the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio remained significantly associated with parametrial involvement. However, individual inflammatory indices showed only modest diagnostic ability to independently distinguish patients with parametrial involvement. The authors concluded that these markers cannot be used as independent diagnostic tools without further prospective validation.