Are Peripheral Blood Derived Inflammation Markers Prognostic Indicators in Breast Cancer?
Abstract
Objective: Peripheral blood derived inflammation based scores are proposed as prognostic markers in solid tumors especially in gastrointestinal system. We aimed to investigate the association between neutrophyl/lymphocyte ratio (NLR, platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and breast cancer in means of prognostic forecast.
Methods: Of 190 patients diagnosed and operated for breast cancer. 160 patients with available pretreatment blood count were included. Ultrasound, mammography, and pathology results were also recorded.
Results: The median age was 50 years at the time of diagnosis (28-90 years). Family history was positive in 11 patients. There were 139 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma, 15 patients with invasive lobuler carcinoma. There was no association with histopathological type of the tumor and peripheral blood derived inflammation markers. The difference in PLR between T1 and T4 tumors was statistically significant. Also both NLR and PLR were significant when N0 patients compared with N1 patients (p<0.05). Neither estrogen nor progesterone receptor status was shown to have an association with NLR and PLR. PLR was found to be statistically significant in different pathological grade groups.
Conclusion: Both NLR and PLR were found to be correlated with advanced stage breast cancer so with prognosis. In order to use these markers in clinical practice, more clinical trials with large number of patients and long follow up period are needed.
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