Dataset Information

Role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic biomarker in patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is recognised as a suitable prognostic biomarker in patients with breast cancer. Nevertheless, the efficacy of this biomarker in predicting the pathological complete response (pCR) and survival in patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is still controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to identify the association between baseline NLR and the prognosis of patients with breast cancer treated with NACT.

Design

Meta-analysis.

Data sources

Relevant literature published before 1 May 2021 was searched using the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed and the Web of Science databases.

Eligibility criteria

All studies involving patients with breast cancer treated with NACT and peripheral blood pretreatment NLR recorded as a dichotomous variable were included.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two researchers independently extracted and evaluated OR/HR and its 95% CIs of survival outcomes and clinicopathological parameters.

Results

A total of 19 studies were identified. From each study, the impact of NLR on the pCR, OR and HR, with their 95% CIs were extracted and combined using either a random or fixed-effects model. The results indicate that a higher pCR in patients with a low NLR (OR 1.620, 95% CI 1.209 to 2.169, p＜0.001). In addition, an elevated NLR predicted lower disease-free survival (HR 2.269, 95% CI 1.557 to 3.307, p<0.001) and overall survival (HR 1.691, 95% CI 1.365 to 2.096, p<0.001) in patients with breast cancer treated with NACT.

Conclusions

NLR is a suitable biomarker for predicting pCR and survival in patients with breast cancer receiving NACT.

SUBMITTER: Zhou Q

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8475153 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Peripheral blood-derived inflammation-based scores such as the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have recently been proposed as prognostic markers in solid tumours. Although evidence to support these markers as unfavourable prognostic factors is more compelling in gastrointestinal cancers, very little is known of their impact on breast cancer. We investigated the association between the NLR and PLR, and overall survival after breast cancer.Data from the University of Malaya Medical Centre Breast Cancer Registry was used. Of 2059 consecutive patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2008, we included 1435 patients with an available pre-treatment differential blood count (∼70%). Patients were stratified into quintiles of the NLR/PLR. Multivariable Cox regression was used to determine the independent prognostic significances of the NLR/PLR.Compared with the first quintile of the NLR, women in quintile 5 were younger, had bigger tumours, nodal involvement, distant metastases and higher tumour grades. Higher NLR quintiles were significantly associated with poorer survival with a 5-year relative survival ratio (RSR) of 76.4% (95% CI: 69.6-82.1%) in quintile 1, 79.4% (95% CI: 74.4-83.7%) in quintile 2, 72.1% (95% CI: 66.3-77.3%) in quintile 3, 65.6% (95% CI: 59.8-70.8%) in quintile 4 and 51.1% (95% CI: 43.3-58.5%) in quintile 5. Following adjustment for demography, tumour characteristics, treatment and the PLR, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for quintile 5 vs quintile 1 was 1.50 (95% CI: 1.08-1.63); Ptrend=0.004. Results were unchanged when the NLR was analysed as a dichotomous variable using different cutoff points. Although patients in PLR quintile 5 had lower survival than in quintile 1 (5-year RSR: 53.2% (95% CI: 46.9-59.2%) vs 77.0% (95% CI: 70.9-82.2%)), this association was not significant after multivariable adjustment. However, a PLR >185 was significantly associated with poorer survival; adjusted HR: 1.25 (95% CI: 1.04-1.52).Both the NLR and PLR are independently associated with an increased risk of mortality in breast cancer. Their added value in the prognostication of breast cancer in clinical practice warrants investigation.