Preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio but not platelet lymphocyte ratio predicts survival and early relapse in patients with oral, pharyngeal, and lip cancer.

The preoperative NLR, not PLR, is an independent prognostic indicator of survival. It also exhibits predictive value for relapse, particularly early relapse within 12 months. The preoperative NLR value might be recommended as a useful tool for predicting the outcomes and stratifying patients for different management strategies.