{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]],"date-time":"2026-03-06T00:36:47Z","timestamp":1772757407244,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]],"date-time":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757030400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"\u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a marker of systemic inflammation, has prognostic value in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its longitudinal performance in routine care is unclear. We evaluated baseline and 12-month changes in NLR and hemoglobin in a single-center, Eastern European cohort. Methods: In this retrospective study, 180 adults with histologically confirmed NSCLC, diagnosed May 2022\u2013April 2024 at a Romanian tertiary center, were followed until 30 April 2025. Baseline demographics, tumor characteristics, molecular profiles, laboratory parameters, and treatments were extracted from electronic health records. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint, overall survival (OS) the secondary, analyzed using Kaplan\u2013Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models. An additional treatment-start-anchored sensitivity analysis in treated patients was conducted. Results: The cohort (median age 67.8 years, 68.9% stage IV) received chemo-immunotherapy (58.9%), immunotherapy (26.7%), chemotherapy (9.4%), or supportive care (5.0%). Median for PFS was 8.2 months and for OS 14.5 months. A high baseline NLR (\u22653, 58.9%) increased progression risk (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.10\u20132.32, p = 0.014), with a trend for worse OS (HR 1.45, 95% CI 0.99\u20132.12). A 12-month NLR increase (62.2%) further elevated progression risk (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.05\u20132.20, p = 0.026). Low hemoglobin (&lt;12 g\/dL) had a non-significant effect (HR 1.38, 95% CI 0.97\u20131.96, p = 0.074). PD-L1 \u2265 50% and chemo-immunotherapy correlated with longer PFS. Findings were consistent in the treatment-start anchored sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: These exploratory findings suggest that inexpensive hematologic markers can complement clinical assessment in advanced-stage NSCLC; prospective multi-center validation is warranted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers17172910","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]],"date-time":"2025-09-05T07:46:17Z","timestamp":1757058377000},"page":"2910","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Inflammation-Based Prognostication in Advanced-Stage NSCLC: A Retrospective Cohort Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-1500-4402","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carina","family":"Golban","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, Department of General Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cristina-Miriam","family":"Blaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, Department of General Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0320-6904","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Norberth-Istvan","family":"Varga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, Department of General Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9838-744X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alina Gabriela","family":"Negru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, \u201cVictor Babe\u0219\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1335-6845","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Delia","family":"Hutanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry-Biology-Geography, West University of Timisoara, Pestalozzi, 16, 300315 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1628-2359","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sorin","family":"Saftescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Victor Babe\u015f University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Serban Mircea","family":"Negru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Victor Babe\u015f University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1367","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra0802714","article-title":"Lung Cancer","volume":"359","author":"Herbst","year":"2008","journal-title":"N. 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