ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Elevated markers of host inflammation, a hallmark of cancer, have been associated with worse outcomes in several solid tumors. Here, we explore the prognostic role of the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), across different tumor subtypes, in patients with early breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 1246 patients with lymph node-positive, operable early breast cancer enrolled in the GEICAM/9906 trial, a multicenter randomized phase 3 study evaluating adjuvant chemotherapy. dNLR was calculated as the ratio of neutrophils and the difference between total leukocytes and neutrophils in peripheral blood before chemotherapy. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival were explored using a Cox proportional hazard analysis. RESULTS: The analysis comprised 1243 (99.8%) patients with dNLR data, with a median follow-up of 10 years. Data on intrinsic subtypes were available from 818 (66%) patients (luminal A 34%, luminal B 32%, HER2-enriched 21% and basal-like 9%). Median dNLR was 1.35 [interquartile range (IQR) 1.08-1.71]. In the whole population, dNLR was not prognostic after adjustment for clinico-pathological factors. However, dNLR ≥ 1.35 was independently associated with worse DFS in the hormone receptor-negative/HER2+ population (HR 2.86; p = 0.038) and in patients with one to three lymph node metastases (HR 1.32, p = 0.032). There was a non-significant association with worse DFS in non-luminal and in HER2-enriched tumors (HR 1.40, p = 0.085 and HR 1.53, p = 0.067). No significant interaction was observed between the treatment arm and dNLR. CONCLUSION: Elevated dNLR appears to be an adverse prognostic factor in hormone receptor-negative early breast cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT: 2005-003108-12 (retrospectively registered 28/06/2005). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00129922 (retrospectively registered 10/08/2005). Results of this study were presented in part at the 2016 ESMO conference October 7-11, 2016, Copenhagen, Denmark (oral presentation).
Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/immunology , Breast Neoplasms/immunology , Lymphocyte Count , Neutrophils , Adult , Aged , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Biomarkers, Tumor/blood , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Breast Neoplasms/mortality , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic , Disease-Free Survival , Female , Humans , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Proportional Hazards Models , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Retrospective data suggest better outcomes for patients with double hormonal receptor (oestrogen [ER] and progesterone receptor [PgR])-positive (dHR+) early breast cancer, compared with single hormonal receptor-positive, sHR+, (ER+/PgR- or ER-/PgR+) disease. Here, we evaluate the classification according to intrinsic subtypes and clinical outcomes of sHR+ versus dHR+ in HER2-negative breast cancer patients enrolled in GEICAM/9906 study (NCT00129922). METHODS: Archival tumours were retrieved retrospectively for the analysis of ER, PgR and HER2 status and classified into intrinsic subtypes using the PAM50 gene expression assay. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were explored using a Cox proportional hazard analysis. RESULTS: Data on intrinsic subtypes were available in 571 (50%) patients with ER+ and/or PR+, and HER2-negative primary tumours. The incidence of luminal A and luminal B subtypes were 52%/36% in dHR+ tumours (ER+/PgR+), and 15%/58% in ER+/PgR-tumours. ER-/PgR+ tumours were mainly luminal A (52%). Compared with ER+/PgR+ patients, DFS was similar in ER-/PgR+ (hazard ratio [HR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-2.34, p = 0.70) but worse in ER+/PgR- patients (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.12-2.28, p < 0.01). Similar results were observed for OS (HR 1.50, p = 0.30 and HR 1.86, p < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The ER+/PgR- group is characterised by higher proliferation and worse outcomes. In spite of the ER-/PgR+ subgroup resembles ER+/PgR+ disease in terms of molecular subtypes and outcomes, the small number of patients in this subgroup prevents from drawing any conclusions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT: 2005-003108-12 (retrospectively registered 28/06/2005). CLINICALTRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00129922 (retrospectively registered 10/08/2005).
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/classification , Adult , Aged , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic , Cyclophosphamide/therapeutic use , Disease-Free Survival , Epirubicin/therapeutic use , Female , Fluorouracil/therapeutic use , Humans , Middle Aged , Paclitaxel/administration & dosage , Proportional Hazards Models , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Receptors, Estrogen/biosynthesis , Receptors, Progesterone/biosynthesis , Retrospective Studies , TranscriptomeABSTRACT
Eighteen patients with gastric cancer in Stage IV who had failed combination chemotherapy were treated with cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum as a single agent. Objective response was observed in four patients (22%), and another two had stable disease lasting 114 and 234 days, respectively. The median duration of the response was 150 days (range, 92-186). Gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in all the patients, but leukopenia and thrombocytopenia was the major complication in patients who had been heavily pretreated. The response rate found in this study shows that cis-platinum is an active drug in gastric cancer.
