Table 3. Risk groups based on NLR and ΔNLR^a.

		Clinical factors	N	mOS (m)	HR	95% CI	Pb
Risk group	Risk score						<0.001
A	0	NLR<2.5 &ΔNLR<0	83	9.7	1		reference
B	1	NLR<2.5 &ΔNLR ≥0 or 2.5≤NLR<4.5 &ΔNLR<0	182	7.9	1.329	1.017–1.736	0.037
C	2	2.5≤NLR<4.5&ΔNLR ≥0 or NLR≥4.5 &ΔNLR<0	96	5.7	2.137	1.571–2.906	<0.001
D	3	NLR≥4.5 &ΔNLR ≥0	33	2.6	7.915	5.033–12.445	<0.001

CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio; mOS, median overall survival; NLR, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio.

^a (NLR after one cycle of chemotherapy)—(initial NLR).

^bP values were calculated using the Multivariate Cox hazard model adjusted with age, gender, ECOG PS, CA19-9, albumin, ALP, bilirubin, and lymphocyte by forward stepwise selection.