Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is Associated with Disease Progression in a Surveillance Cohort of Patients with Branch-Duct IPMN

Background

A Branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs) are common pancreatic precursor lesions requiring varying duration of surveillance because of their potential for malignant transformation. Current risk stratification relies predominantly on imaging-based criteria defined by the Kyoto guidelines, while reliable blood-based biomarkers are lacking. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with invasive IPMN in surgical resected cases, but its role in routine BD-IPMN surveillance has not been investigated. This study investigated the association between NLR and disease progression in a large surveillance cohort of patients with BD-IPMN.