Prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in luminal breast cancers with low levels of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes

Abstract

Background/Aim: This study aimed to improve the prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, NLR and TIL data from 677 operated breast cancer patients were analysed. The cut-off value of NLR was set at 2.72, and TIL levels were classified as low (<10%), intermediate (≥10 to <50%), and high (≥50%). Results: Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was significantly longer in patients with low NLR (n=459) than in those with high NLR (n=218) (p=0.0383). In ERpositive/ HER2-negative and TIL-low breast cancers, there were significant associations between NLR levels and RFS (p=0.0129) or overall survival (OS) (p=0.0046). On multivariate analysis, NLR was a significant and independent factor for OS (hazard ratio=3.78; 95% confidence interval=1.21-14.17; p=0.022). Conclusion: These data may be useful for predicting patient prognosis and understanding the clinical significance of immune status in breast cancers.