Immature Granulocyte Count and Delta Neutrophil Index Factors for Axillary Metastasis of Breast Cancer

January 28, 2021 updated by: Mehmet Buğra Bozan, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

Immature Granulocyte Count and Delta Neutrophil Index as New Predictive Factors for Axillary Metastasis of Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer ranks first among cancer types seen in women in our country and all over the world, and second after lung cancer in cancer-related deaths. Despite the recent increase in its incidence, mortality has decreased due to early diagnosis and advances in neoadjuvant therapy. Classically, lymph node status, tumor size, histological type and grade, age, and ethnicity are prognostic factors for this type of cancer. Bone marrow activation results from malignancies and inflammation. Tumor-related inflammation has gained importance in each stage of tumorigenesis. Host-dependent systemic inflammatory response has been found to be effective in carcinogenesis, tumor development and progression. Inadequately controlled or uncontrolled inflammatory activity may be responsible for malignant transformation. Inflammatory cell stimulation occurs in lymph node metastasis and distant organ metastases like primary tumor.As the cornerstone of the adaptive immune system, lymphocytes inhibit tumor cell proliferation, migration and destroy metastatic lesions. Monocyte-macrophages inhibit angiogenesis, tumor growth and distant spread. On the other hand, tumor-induced neutrophils can accelerate tumor metastasis. Many studies have examined the relationship between the ratios between different cell types, such as the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), with malignant tumors(4,10).Apart from these, mean platelet volume (MPV), which can be automatically studied in routine blood counts and shows platelet activation, has been used to show tumor activity in breast, stomach, colon and ovarian cancers.

Recent studies have identified the delta neutrophil index (DNI), which indicates the percentage of immature granulocytes (IG) in peripheral blood due to increased bone marrow activation in inflammatory conditions.It is based on counting granulocyte precursor cells under microscope. With the technological developments,IG count and DNI can be automatically evaluated from complete blood count parameters in automated systems.

In this study,the investigators aimed to determine the diagnostic value of preoperative IG number and DNI level before clinical detection of axillary lymph node metastasis, which plays an important role in the prognosis of breast cancer, and to compare these parameters with other routine inflammation markers such as white blood cell count (WBC), MPV, NLR and PLR.

Material - Methods:Patients who were older than eighteen and operated for breast pathology in Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University,Department of General Surgery between February 2015 and February 2020 were evaluated retrospectively.Patient data were obtained from patient epicrisis forms and preoperative laboratory and postoperative pathology results recorded in the computer system.Demographic data of the patients,routine blood tests,preoperative imaging methods, preoperative tumor size,presence of axillary lymph node metastasis and distant organ metastasis,presence of pathological axillary lymph node metastasis in the postoperative period were evaluated.

In the preoperative period, patients without axillary metastases and who did not receive neoadjuvant treatment were examined by dividing them into two groups as pathologically non-metastatic(Group NM) and metastasized(Group M) in axillary lymph node sampling.

White blood cell(WBC)count,neutrophil count,lymphocyte count,platelet count,mean platelet volume(MPV),IG count and DNI(IG percentage)were measured using an automated hematological analyzer from blood samples obtained at the preoperative previous month of surgery.Neutrophil to lymhpocyte ratio(NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio(PLR) were manually calculated from the complete blood cell results.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background: Breast cancer ranks first among cancer types seen in women in our country and all over the world, and second after lung cancer in cancer-related deaths. Despite the recent increase in its incidence, mortality has decreased due to early diagnosis and advances in neoadjuvant therapy. Classically, lymph node status, tumor size, histological type and grade, age, and ethnicity are prognostic factors for this type of cancer. Bone marrow activation results from malignancies and inflammation. Tumor-related inflammation has gained importance in each stage of tumorigenesis. Host-dependent systemic inflammatory response has been found to be effective in carcinogenesis, tumor development and progression. Inadequately controlled or uncontrolled inflammatory activity may be responsible for malignant transformation. Inflammatory cell stimulation occurs in lymph node metastasis and distant organ metastases like primary tumor.As the cornerstone of the adaptive immune system, lymphocytes inhibit tumor cell proliferation, migration and destroy metastatic lesions. Monocyte-macrophages inhibit angiogenesis, tumor growth and distant spread. On the other hand, tumor-induced neutrophils can accelerate tumor metastasis. Many studies have examined the relationship between the ratios between different cell types, such as the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), with malignant tumors.Apart from these, mean platelet volume (MPV), which can be automatically studied in routine blood counts and shows platelet activation, has been used to show tumor activity in breast, stomach, colon and ovarian cancers.

Recent studies have identified the delta neutrophil index (DNI), which indicates the percentage of immature granulocytes (IG) in peripheral blood due to increased bone marrow activation in inflammatory conditions.It is based on counting granulocyte precursor cells under microscope. With the technological developments,IG count and DNI can be automatically evaluated from complete blood count parameters in automated systems.

In this study, investigators aimed to determine the diagnostic value of preoperative IG number and DNI level before clinical detection of axillary lymph node metastasis, which plays an important role in the prognosis of breast cancer, and to compare these parameters with other routine inflammation markers such as white blood cell count (WBC), MPV, NLR and PLR.

Material - Methods:Patients who were older than eighteen and operated for breast pathology in Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University,Department of General Surgery between February 2015 and February 2020 were evaluated retrospectively.Patient data were obtained from patient epicrisis forms and preoperative laboratory and postoperative pathology results recorded in the computer system.Demographic data of the patients,routine blood tests,preoperative imaging methods, preoperative tumor size,presence of axillary lymph node metastasis and distant organ metastasis,presence of pathological axillary lymph node metastasis in the postoperative period were evaluated.

In the preoperative period, patients without axillary metastases and who did not receive neoadjuvant treatment were examined by dividing them into two groups as pathologically non-metastatic(Group NM) and metastasized(Group M) in axillary lymph node sampling.

White blood cell(WBC)count,neutrophil count,lymphocyte count,platelet count,mean platelet volume(MPV),IG count and DNI(IG percentage)were measured using an automated hematological analyzer from blood samples obtained at the preoperative previous month of surgery.Neutrophil to lymhpocyte ratio(NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio(PLR) were manually calculated from the complete blood cell results.

Statistical Evaluation:IBM-Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for statistical analysis. In the evaluation between independent groups;normal distribution was checked for the kolmogorov-simirnov test.While student t test or Mann Whitney U test was used in the evaluation of numerical data according to the conformity of the data to normal distribution,chi-square test was used in the evaluation of categorical data.Multivariate analysis was performed with parameters found to be significant in the evaluation of univariate analysis and predictive values of preoperative blood parameters were calculated.ROC analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of WBC, NLR, PLR, DNI, IG number and MPV values,and sensitivity,specificity values and cut-off values were obtained. Numerical values are expressed as median(minimum - maximum values), categorical values as percentage (%).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

83

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Invasive breast cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, mixed invasive ductal lobular carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, micropapillary carcinoma)
  • Clinically negative axillarry metastasis(without neoadjuvant chemotherapy/radiotherapy)
  • Pathologically positive or negative axillary metastasis
  • No missing data.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who underwent surgery for benign breast disease (such as fibroadenomas, garnulomatous mastitis, hamartomas)
  • Patients with other breast malignancies other than invasive breast carcinoma (ductal carcinoma in situ, fibrosarcomas, neuroendocrine tumors, myofibroblastomas, phyllodes tumors)
  • Clinically preoperative positive axillary metastasis
  • Preoperative patients with distant organ metastasis
  • Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy / radiotherapy in the preoperative period
  • Patients with missing data

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis
Procedure: Mastectomy
Mastectomy for breast cancer Blood sample for Complete Blood Cell Count and other blood parameters (Delta Neutrophil Index, Immature Granulocyte Count)
Other Names:
  • Sentinel Lymph Node
  • Axillary dissection
  • Complete Blood Count
  • Delta Neutrophil Index
  • Immature Granulocyte Count
  • Delta Neutrophil Index and Immature Granulocyte Count
  • Blood sample for Complete Blood Cell Count

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Determination of preoperative axillary metastasis in clinically negative patients
Time Frame: preoperative period
DNI and IG count calculated automatically in blood samples of the preoperative period of the invasive breast cancer patients
preoperative period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 1, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 27, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

January 28, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 2, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 28, 2021

Last Verified

January 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 19

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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