Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Oct 27, 2024; 16(10): 3371-3373
Published online Oct 27, 2024. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i10.3371
Evaluation of preoperative blood markers for predicting intra-abdominal infection during colorectal cancer resection: A commentary on recent findings
Shi-Yan Zhang, Juan Chen, Na Cai
Shi-Yan Zhang, Juan Chen, Na Cai, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fuding Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuding 355200, Fujian Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang SY led the manuscript writing, idea conception, and correspondence; Chen J analyzed methodology and results analysis, assisted in drafting the manuscript; Cai N conducted the literature review, and discussed improvements; all the authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Joint Project of the Natural Science Foundation of Ningde, No. 2023J49.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shi-Yan Zhang, MD, Director, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fuding Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 120 South Road of Old City, Fuding 355200, Fujian Province, China. myebox@139.com
Received: March 27, 2024
Revised: August 21, 2024
Accepted: August 29, 2024
Published online: October 27, 2024
Processing time: 185 Days and 3.8 Hours
Abstract

This commentary evaluates the study by Liu et al. This study investigates the predictive utility of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammation index, and carcinoembryonic antigen levels for post-operative intra-abdominal infection following colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. The study highlights the critical need for analyzing diverse patient demographics and delves into the potential impact of various confounding factors on the predictive accuracy of these markers. Additionally, the commentary advocates for the initiation of prospective studies aimed at validating and enhancing the clinical utility of these biomarkers in the context of CRC treatment. The commentary aims to underscore the importance of broadening the research framework to include a wider patient demographic and more comprehensive factor analyses, thereby enriching the predictive model's applicability and relevance in clinical settings.

Keywords: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio; Platelet-lymphocyte ratio; Systemic immune-inflammation index; Carcinoembryonic antigen; Intra-abdominal infection; Colorectal cancer; Predictive model; Nomogram

Core Tip: This commentary highlights the pioneering study by Liu et al on the use of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammation index, and carcinoembryonic antigen as predictive markers for postoperative intra-abdominal infection in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This study underscores the need for broadening the patient demographics, intensifying the examination of confounding variables, and the crucial need for prospective validation to ensure the clinical applicability of these markers. Additionally, further research should include multicenter trials and the exploration of additional biomarkers to increase the model's predictive accuracy and clinical relevance. This study also highlights the importance of integrating predictive models into clinical workflows, making them user-friendly for healthcare professionals, and thereby optimizing patient outcomes in CRC management.