Lymphopenia as a potential predictor of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence in early breast cancer

Abstract

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between lymphopenia after breast conserving therapy (BCT) and ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) in early breast cancer (EBC). Patients and Methods: We examined 216 EBC patients treated with partial mastectomy followed by radiotherapy (RT), none of whom received chemotherapy. Absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) during the two years after RT were collected from each patient: pretreatment ALC, ALC at 3-5 months (ALC1), ALC at 9-11 months, ALC at 15-17 months, and ALC at 21-23 months. Results: The 102 patients with ALC1 ≤1,479 cells/μl (defined as lymphopenia) had significantly higher 10-year IBTR rate than the 102 patients with ALC1 >1,479 cells/μl (16.2% vs. 1%, p=0.0034). The multivariate analysis showed that age, resection margins, human epidermal growth factor receptor, and lymphopenia were significant predictors of IBTR. Conclusion: Lymphopenia is a potential predictor for IBTR in EBC patients treated with BCT.