title: Prognostic significance of pre-treatment neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio in Japanese patients with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to reflect systemic inflammation and to have independent prognostic value for patients with various cancers. In this study, we analyzed the association between NLR and clinicopathological factors and verified the significance of NLR as a prognostic factor for Japanese patients with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 167 Japanese female patients with stage I-III breast cancer were retrospectively recruited into this study. Associations with clinicopathological factors and NLR were assessed, and disease-free survival and breast cancer-specific survival were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multivariate analysis, lymph node metastases and NLR were significantly associated with disease-free survival and breast cancer-specific survival. NLR was significantly higher in patients with lower body-mass index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative NLR may be an independent prognostic factor for survival in Japanese patients with breast cancer. Reduction of body mass index has been implicated in NLR elevation, particularly in postmenopausal women.
authors: Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan n-kiichi@mvc.biglobe.ne.jp.
authors: Kiichiroh
authors: K
authors: Nakano
authors: Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Mitsuchika
authors: M
authors: Hosoda
authors: Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Mitsugu
authors: M
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Hiroko
authors: H
authors: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: Breast cancer; body-mass index; neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio