AUTHOR=Ocaña Alberto , Chacón Jose Ignacio , Calvo Lourdes , Antón Antonio , Mansutti Mauro , Albanell Joan , Martínez María Teresa , Lahuerta Ainhara , Bisagni Giancarlo , Bermejo Begoña , Semiglazov Vladimir , Thill Marc , Chan Arlene , Morales Serafin , Herranz Jesús , Tusquets Ignacio , Chiesa Massimo , Caballero Rosalía , Valagussa Pinuccia , Bianchini Giampaolo , Alba Emilio , Gianni Luca TITLE=Derived Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Pathological Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2021.827625 DOI=10.3389/fonc.2021.827625 ISSN=2234-943X ABSTRACT=Background

Derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) is a biomarker associated with clinical outcome in breast cancer (BC). We analyzed the association of dNLR with pathological complete response (pCR) in triple-negative BC (TNBC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT).

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of two randomized studies involving early stage/locally advanced TNBC patients receiving anthracycline/taxane-based CT+/−carboplatin (GEICAM/2006-03) or nab-paclitaxel/paclitaxel followed by anthracycline regimen (ETNA). dNLR was calculated as the ratio of neutrophils to the difference between total leukocytes and neutrophils in peripheral blood before CT (baseline) and at the end of treatment (EOT). Logistic regression analyses were used to explore dNLR association with pCR.

Results

In total, 308 TNBC patients were analyzed, 216 from ETNA and 92 from GEICAM/2006-03. Baseline median dNLR was 1.61 (interquartile range (IQR): 1.25–2.04) and at EOT 1.53 (IQR: 0.96–2.22). Baseline dNLR showed positive correlation with increased tumor size (p-value = 1e−04). High baseline dNLR, as continuous variable or using median cutoff, was associated with lower likelihood of pCR in univariate analysis. High EOT dNLR as continuous variable or using quartiles was also associated with lower pCR rate in uni- and multivariate analyses.

Conclusions

High baseline and EOT dNLR correlates with lower benefit from neoadjuvant CT in TNBC.