Abstract PS6-45: Prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with breast cancer receivingneoadjuvant chemotherapy

Introduction and objectives: Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) play a prognostic role in early stage breast cancer (BC). There is no evidence about the combined effect of both factors. Our objective was to evaluate the integrated clinical significance of TILs and NLR in patients with early BC treated with neoadjuvant therapy. Materials and methods: Retrospective, single-center analysis of a cohort of patients with early BC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 2001-2010. Pre-treatment TILs (CD3+-TIL count) was evaluated using a tumor tissue microarray. NLR was calculated within one month of cancer diagnosis. TILs (logarithmic transformed) and NLR were analyzed as continuous variables. Survival analysis was performed using multivariable Cox regression models. Results:A total of 121 patients were included. Median age: 56 years. Cancer stage at diagnosis: 16% IIA, 28% IIB, 33% IIIA, 7% IIIB and 16% IIIC. Molecular subtype: 64% hormone receptor(HR)-positive (12% HER2-positive), 11% HER2-positive HR-negative and 22% triple-negative. Pathological complete response (pCR): 16.5%. Median follow-up: 12 years. Pre-treatment TIL analysis was available in 71 patients (59%) and NLR in 101 (83%). There was no correlation between both variables (Spearman9s Rho: 0.03, p = 0.98). In the univariate analysis, the NLR showed a negative prognostic value for overall survival (OS) (HR 1.23, 95%CI 1.11-1.36; p Citation Format: Esmeralda Garcia-Torralba, Francisco Ayala de la Pena, Beatriz Alvarez-Abril, Pilar de la Morena Barrio, Alejandra Ivars Rubio, Elisa Garcia Garre, Gema Marin Zafra, Alberto Carmona-Bayonas, Elena Garcia Martinez. Prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with breast cancer receivingneoadjuvant chemotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS6-45.