Utility of peripheral blood parameters in predicting breast cancer risk

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(6):2409-12. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.6.2409.

Abstract

Purpose: We aimed to study the inflammatory parameters of complete blood count in breast cancer cases.

Materials and methods: This retrospective study covered 178 breast cancer patients and 107 age and body mass index matched healthy women. Complete blood count parameters, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/ lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and MPV/platelet were analyzed.

Results: The leukocyte, neutrophil and neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio were higher in the patient group (p values 0.001, 0.0001 and 0.0001, respectively) while haemoglobin and hematocrit were higher in the control group (p=0.0001 for both). Logistic regression analysis showed that elevated neutrophils and platelet distribution width (PDW) (OR: 0.627, 95%CI: 0.508-0.774, p=0.001 and OR: 1.191 95%CI: 1.057-1.342 p=0.003) were independent variables for predicting breast cancer. The cut- off value for the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was 2.56.

Conclusions: According to our study results, neutrophil levels as part of complete blood count may be used as an independent predictor of breast cancer risk.

MeSH terms

  • Blood Cell Count / statistics & numerical data*
  • Blood Platelets / pathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / etiology
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / etiology
  • Carcinoma, Lobular / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma, Lobular / etiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lymphocytes / pathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Neutrophils / pathology*
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies