The Clinical Predictive Value Of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width In Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine thedifferences of RDW between non-small cell lung cancer and lungbenign tumor, we also investigated the association of RDW levelswith lymph node metastasis of NSCLC.Methods: Clinical data from149patients with lung tumor inthe First Hospital of Jilin University between2012and2014wereretrospectively studied.Group t test, Mann-Whitney U test andchi-square test were used during the analysis process.RESULTS: The patients were divided into two groups:NSCLC,n=113vs. Lung benign tumor,n=36. Univariate analysisshowed that there was no significant difference of RDW betweenthese two groups(P=0.582).Then according to the median level ofRDW(M=13.1),we divided NSCLC patients into another twogroups:low RDW(＜13.2%),n=58vs. high RDW(≥13.2%),n=55.Itshowed that there was no significant associations of RDW valueswith lymph node metastasis(P=0.438); WBC,globulin and albuminratio and pre-albumin showed no difference in these two groups.Whereas the RDW value was significantly higher in NSCLCpatients than in benign controls (16.83vs5.93; P=0.028,Mann-Whitney U test).But the value of prealbumin (P=0.746) andglobulin and albumin ratio (P=0.458)showed no significant difference. In the same way,we divided86NSCLC patients withcomplete data into two groups:low prealbumin (＜240mg/l),n=52vs. high prealbumin(≥240mg/l),n=34.Chi-square test analysisshowed that there were significant associations of high prealbuminvalues with lymph node metastasis(P=0.027); followed by pairwisecomparison, after reset the test level(α=0.017), we foundsignificant difference of the constituent ratio of NO and N2betweenthese two groups(P=0.007<0.017).Conclusion: After excluded the patients with othercomorbidities,RDW can not be used as clinical indicators todistinguish NSCLC from lung benign tumors;and PA instead ofRDW seems to have potential associations with lymph nodemetastasis of NSCLC.