Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41484867›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2026

Clinical significance of peripheral blood parameters as a prognostic biomarker in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Tae-In Yoon, Seunghee Baek, Ji Hyeon Lee, Tae Kyung Yoo, Jisun Kim, Il Yong Chung, Beom Seok Ko, Hee Jeong Kim, Jong Won Lee, Byung Ho Son and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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

11 authors.

Tae-In Yoon *Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Science, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Seunghee Baek *Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Ji Hyeon LeeCollege of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Tae Kyung YooDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jisun KimDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Il Yong ChungDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Beom Seok KoDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hee Jeong KimDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jong Won LeeDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Byung Ho SonDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sae Byul LeeDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. newstar153@hanmail.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3370-6937

Funding

the Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center 2023IP0130
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSystemic inflammatory responses play a crucial role in cancer progression, and peripheral blood biomarkers have emerged as potential prognostic and predictive markers in various malignancies. This study evaluated the efficacy of serial peripheral blood biomarkers as independent prognostic and predictive indicators in patients with breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study investigated the prognostic value of peripheral blood biomarkers, including red cell distribution width (RDW), RDW to platelet count ratio (RPR), platelet count (PLT), platelet distribution width (PDW), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), PDW to platelet count ratio (PDW/P), and mean platelet volume (MPV) in patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy at a single institution, from 2007 to 2013. Blood samples were collected at diagnosis, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, after surgery, and 6–12 months postoperatively. Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, Cox regression for survival, and logistic regression for clinical responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Longitudinal changes in biomarkers were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.

resultsAmong 1139 patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 15.2% achieved pathological complete response (pCR). Tumor size, histologic grade, and molecular subtype were independent predictors of pCR, whereas baseline hematologic biomarkers did not predict pCR. At diagnosis, elevated PDW, NLR, and MPV were associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in multivariate analysis. During follow-up, elevated RDW, RPR, PDW, PDW/P, NLR, and MPV remained significant predictors of poor prognosis. NLR consistently predicted worse DFS and BCSS (HRs, 1.06; p < 0.001). Time-sequence analysis showed significant changes in NLR, PDW, and MPV over time (all p < 0.001), with persistently higher NLR in the recurrence group (interaction p = 0.0003).

conclusionsAlthough baseline hematologic biomarkers did not predict pCR, several biomarkers such as NLR, PDW, and MPV demonstrated strong prognostic value for long-term survival. Notably, NLR also showed prognostic relevance through longitudinal changes, supporting its potential role as a dynamic biomarker.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMean Platelet VolumeMiddle AgedNeoadjuvant TherapyNeutrophilsPathologic Complete ResponsePlatelet CountPrognosisRetrospective StudiesBiomarkers, TumorBreast cancerMean platelet volumeNeoadjuvant chemotherapyNeutrophil-lymphocyte ratioPeripheral blood biomarkersPlatelet distribution width

Identifiers

PMID41484867
PMCPMC12870956

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.