Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27660475›Full record

ReviewOncoTargets and therapy2016

The neutrophil lymphocyte ratio is associated with breast cancer prognosis: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bajin Wei, Minya Yao, Chunyang Xing, Wei Wang, Jia Yao, Yun Hong, Yu Liu, Peifen Fu

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in OncoTargets and therapy, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 89 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
89citing papers in PubMed, 6 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

89 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  11. Multifaceted Roles of IL-26 in Physiological and Pathological Conditions.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
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  18. Development of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction in anthracycline-treated breast cancer patients: a retrospective study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
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  20. Article

29 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.

Bajin WeiDiagnosis and Treatment of Breast Diseases Center; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Minya YaoDiagnosis and Treatment of Breast Diseases Center.
Chunyang XingKey Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Wei WangKey Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Jia YaoDiagnosis and Treatment of Breast Diseases Center.
Yun HongDiagnosis and Treatment of Breast Diseases Center.
Yu LiuDiagnosis and Treatment of Breast Diseases Center.
Peifen FuDiagnosis and Treatment of Breast Diseases Center; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common female malignancy within the spectrum of human cancer. One promising way to reduce the mortality and morbidity of BC is to explore novel diagnostic markers for early diagnosis and prognostication. The neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a good reflection of inflammation, which plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. However, the association between NLR and BC prognosis remains unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis is to explore the prognostic value of NLR in BC. Among the screened references in the database, 12 eligible studies were identified in this study. Patients with a higher NLR had a shorter disease-free survival (hazard ratio =1.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.90, P=0.044) and overall survival (hazard ratio =2.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.41-2.93, P<0.001). In the subgroup analysis of NLR and disease-free survival, the studies from Eastern countries had a positive result with perfect homogeneity (I (2)=0); however, this homogeneity has not been achieved in studies from Western countries. In the subgroup analysis of the NLR and overall survival, the results of the univariate and multivariate analyses were completely different, with different heterogeneity. In the luminal A and luminal B subtypes, we found that there was no association between the NLR and overall survival in the BC patients. Positive results were obtained in the analyses of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive and triple-negative BC subtypes. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that NLR is a good prognostic marker for BC, and patients with a higher NLR have poorer prognoses. Future studies should perform more detailed investigations to decrease heterogeneity and determine the appropriate cut-off values for different races.

Indexed as

disease-free survivalinflammatory factorlymphocytopenialymphocytosisneutrophilicgranulocytopenianeutrophilic leukocytosisoverall survivalprognosis

Identifiers

PMID27660475
PMCPMC5021064

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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.