ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Thoracic Oncology
This article is part of the Research TopicReal-World Data and Real-World Evidence in Lung Cancer Volume IIView all 14 articles
Prognostic Significance of the Lymphocyte-to-High-Density Lipoprotein Ratio in Long-Term Efficacy of Combined Immunotherapy for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Provisionally accepted
- 1Xuzhou Municipal First People's Hospital, Xuzhou, China
- 2The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- 3Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
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BACKGROUND Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80%–85% of cases, and the majority of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with poor prognosis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy have become the standard first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC, significantly improving survival outcomes. However, considerable inter-individual variability in treatment response persists, underscoring the urgent need for novel predictive biomarkers. Systemic inflammation and immune status are closely associated with immunotherapy efficacy. Lymphocytes play a critical role as effector cells in antitumor immunity, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL), beyond its role in lipid metabolism, also exerts anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions. The lymphocyte-to-HDL ratio (LHR), a composite indicator integrating immune and metabolic status, has demonstrated prognostic value in several malignancies. Nevertheless, its predictive significance in advanced NSCLC patients receiving chemo-immunotherapy remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of LHR for long-term outcomes in this population, thereby providing insights for individualized treatment strategies. AIM To investigate the predictive value of the lymphocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio (LHR) for long-term outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving chemo-immunotherapy, and to evaluate its potential as a convenient and cost-effective biomarker for guiding individualized clinical treatment.
Keywords: Lymphocyte-to-HDL-C ratio, Non-small cell lung cancer, Chemo-immunotherapy, prognostic biomarker, nomogram, Safety, efficacy
Received: 25 Sep 2025; Accepted: 03 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ma, Ma, ZHANG, Chen, Zhang, Guo, Yao and Ji. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Zhiyuan Yao, 906232644@qq.com
Guijuan Ji, 190621642@qq.com
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