Yoshida D, Minami K, Sugiyama M, et al. - Researchers examined the value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting tumor recurrence in patients with stage I-II rectal cancer after curative resection. From January 2006 and March 2015, they assessed 130 consecutive patients with stage I-II rectal cancer who underwent curative resection. Among these, four cases (3.1%) of cancer-specific deaths and 16 cases (12.3%) of recurrence were reported; the 5-year disease-free survival rate was 85.6%. Findings suggest a significant independent association of NLR, pathologic T-category, and lymphatic invasion with disease-free survival. Findings suggest a possible utility of preoperative NLR for predicting tumor relapse in stage I-II rectal cancer and as a useful biomarker for predicting recurrence in patients undergoing curative resection.