Predictive value of peripheral blood lymphocyte count in breast cancer patients treated with primary chemotherapy

Peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) count may reflect the immune status of cancer patients. We retrospectively analyzed the predictive and prognostic impact of baseline and post-chemotherapy PBL counts in a homogeneous group of 103 breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (anthracyclines and taxanes). In univariate analysis, baseline PBL under 1500 × 106/L (p = 0.013; hazard ratio [HR]: 2.80, 95%CI 1.24–6.61), and PBL decrease >200 × 106/L after the first cycle of chemotherapy (p = 0.047; HR: 2.82, 95%CI 1.01–7.86) were significantly related to disease free survival. In multivariate analysis, both baseline PBL count less than 1500 × 106/L (p = 0.034; HR: 3.32, 95%CI 1.09–10.02) and PBL decrease >200 × 106/L after first cycle (p = 0.032; HR: 3.25, 95%CI 1.10–9.56) showed independent prognostic value for worse disease free survival. No effect was observed for overall survival. Our data support the relevance of pre- and post-chemotherapy PBL for breast cancer recurrence after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.