Prognostic significance of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis

Ovarian cancer accounts for 3.6% of all malignancies in females globally, which is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among gynecological malignancies (1). In 2016, an estimated 22,280 patients were predicted to be newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States, of whom, 14,240 were predicted to die of the disease (1). Approximately 70% of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and only 40% of them are expected to survive more than 5 years (2,3). Primary cytoreductive surgery alone or in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard treatment regimen for ovarian cancer. Despite an initial good response to chemotherapy, almost 75% of these patients will ultimately recur and die of the disease (4), accounting for the major reason for cancer-related death. Therefore, reliable and available prognostic indicators would alert surgeons about the strengthened necessity of follow-up for these high-risk patients. Additionally, an earlier observation and earlier therapy would benefit these patients