Association Between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Recurrence in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients

Christian Sihite; Raden Yohana; Putie Hapsari; Kiki Lukman; Kiki Ahmad Rizki; Euis Maryani

doi:10.15850/ijihs.v14n1.4743

Authors

Christian Sihite Departement of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran-Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6438-0693 (unauthenticated)
Raden Yohana Departement of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran-Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia
Putie Hapsari Departement of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran-Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia
Kiki Lukman Departement of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran-Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia
Kiki Ahmad Rizki Departement of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran-Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia
Euis Maryani Departement of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran-Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15850/ijihs.v14n1.4743

Keywords:

Biomarker, Inflammation, Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio, Recurrence breast cancer, Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Abstract

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of cancer, characterized by a high recurrence rate and a poor prognosis. The lack of widely accessible predictive biomarkers, such as PD-L1, poses a challenge in predicting recurrence. This study aimed to describe the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), an indicator of systemic inflammation, as a potential prognostic biomarker for recurrent TNBC because it is simple, inexpensive, and can be performed in different healthcare facility settings.

Objective: To study the NLR pattern in TNBC stage 2 and identify the association between NLR and recurrence.

Methods: This cohort retrospective study obtained data from the medical records of TNBC patients treated at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia. Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) values and recurrence status were analyzed in 56 consecutive cases.

Results: There was a significant correlation between NLR values and recurrence events in patients with TNBC. Patients with recurrence had higher NLR values (3.83±2.39) compared to those without recurrence (1.81±0.57). The highest NRL value in the recurrence group reached 11.14. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.001).

Conclusion: NLR has the potential to serve as a simple and effective predictive biomarker for identifying the risk of recurrence in TNBC patients. The use of NLR may provide an initial alternative in determining prognosis and guiding patient follow-up strategies, especially in healthcare facilities with limited access to biomolecular tests such as PD-L1.

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