Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24675383›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of cancer2014

The elevated preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.

S Krenn-Pilko, U Langsenlehner, E-M Thurner, T Stojakovic, M Pichler, A Gerger, K S Kapp, T Langsenlehner

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of cancer, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04860115 (Impact of Novel Thoracic Wall Blocks With Dexmetomidine on Inflammatory Markers Following Breast Cancer Surgery), which is not on this map. Cited by 168 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
168citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04860115 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Impact of Novel Thoracic Wall Blocks With Dexmetomidine on Inflammatory Markers Following Breast Cancer Surgery

TypeinterventionalSponsorSt. Elizabeth Cancer Institute, SlovakiaRan2021 to 2023Enrolled120ConditionsInflammatory MarkersArmsModified pectoralis block (PEC II) and pecto-intercostal fascial plane block (PIFB)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

168 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  20. Targeting neutrophils for cancer therapy.Nature reviews. Drug discovery · 2025
    Review

108 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

S Krenn-PilkoDepartment of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 32, 8036 Graz, Austria.
U LangsenlehnerDivision of Internal Medicine, Outpatient Department Graz, Graz, Austria.
E-M ThurnerDepartment of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 32, 8036 Graz, Austria.
T StojakovicClinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
M PichlerDepartment of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
A GergerDivision of Clinical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
K S KappDepartment of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 32, 8036 Graz, Austria.
T LangsenlehnerDepartment of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 32, 8036 Graz, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe elevation of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), an easily applicable blood test based on platelet and lymphocyte counts has been associated with poor prognosis in patients with different types of cancer. The present study was aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of the preoperative PLR in a large cohort of breast cancer patients.

methodsData from 793 consecutive non-metastatic breast cancer patients, treated between 1999 and 2004, were evaluated retrospectively. The optimal cutoff values for the PLR were calculated using receiver operating curve analysis. Cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS) as well as distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. To evaluate the independent prognostic significance of PLR, multivariable Cox regression models were applied for all three different end points.

resultsUnivariable analysis revealed a significant association between the elevated preoperative PLR and CSS (hazard ratio (HR): 2.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57-4.83, P<0.001) that remained statistically significant in multivariable analysis (HR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.03-4.02, P=0.042). An increased PLR was also significantly associated with decreased OS in univariable (HR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.43-4.20, P=0.001) and in multivariable analysis (HR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.01-3.67, P=0.047). Furthermore, univariable analysis showed a significant impact of increased PLR on DMFS (HR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.18-3.44, P=0.010). Subgroup analysis revealed significant associations of the elevated PLR on the primary end point CSS for all breast cancer subtypes. This association retained its significance in multivariable analysis in patients with luminal B tumours (HR: 2.538, 95% CI: 1.043-6.177, P=0.040).

conclusionsIn this study, we identified the preoperative PLR as an independent prognostic marker for survival in breast cancer patients. Independent validation of our findings is needed.

Indexed as

Lymphocyte CountPlatelet CountAdultAgedBreast NeoplasmsFemaleHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMiddle AgedPrognosisProportional Hazards ModelsRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsROC CurveSample Size

Identifiers

PMID24675383
PMCPMC4021515

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.