Low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and pan-immune-inflammation-value predict nodal pathologic complete response in 1274 breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter analysis

Abstract

Background: Systemic inflammatory markers draw great interest as potential blood-based prognostic factors in several oncological settings.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) predict nodal pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in node-positive (cN+) breast cancer (BC) patients.

Design: Clinically, cN+ BC patients undergoing NAC followed by breast and axillary surgery were enrolled in a multicentric study from 11 Breast Units.

Methods: Pretreatment blood counts were collected for the analysis and used to calculate NLR and PIV. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate independent predictors of nodal pCR.

Results: A total of 1274 cN+ BC patients were included. Nodal pCR was achieved in 586 (46%) patients. At multivariate analysis, low NLR [odds ratio (OR) = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51-0.98; p = 0.04] and low PIV (OR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44-0.90; p = 0.01) were independently predictive of increased likelihood of nodal pCR. A sub-analysis on cN1 patients (n = 1075) confirmed the statistical significance of these variables. PIV was significantly associated with axillary pCR in estrogen receptor (ER)-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ (OR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.12-0.83; p = 0.02) and ER-/HER2- (OR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17-0.97; p = 0.04) BC patients.

Conclusion: This study found that low NLR and PIV levels predict axillary pCR in patients with BC undergoing NAC.

Registration: Eudract number NCT05798806.

Keywords: axillary dissection; axillary surgery; breast cancer; inflammatory markers; neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio; pan-immune-inflammation value; sentinel lymph node biopsy.