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. 2015 May 28;113(1):150–158. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2015.183

Table 3. Association between neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio and platelet–lymphocyte ratio, and mortality in 1435 Asian breast cancer patients.

  Total Quintile 1 Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4 Quintile 5 Ptrenda
Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio, median 2.20 1.17 1.70 2.26 3.14 5.64  
No. of patients 1435 226 379 305 331 194  
No. of deaths 599 75 135 113 158 118  
5-Year relative survival (95% CI)b   76.4 (69.6–82.1) 79.4 (74.4–83.7) 72.1 (66.3–77.3) 65.6 (59.8–70.8) 51.1 (43.3–58.5)  
Crude hazard ratio (95% CI)   1.00 1.06 (0.80–1.41) 1.17 (0.87–1.56) 1.59 (1.21–2.10)c 2.56 (1.91–3.42)c <0.001c
Adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)d   1.00 1.03 (0.77–1.39) 1.04 (0.77–1.41) 1.27 (0.95–1.70) 1.50 (10.8–1.63)c 0.004c
Platelet–lymphocyte ratio, median 144.2 83.9 114.8 144.2 182.9 286.0  
No. of patients 1435 287 287 287 287 287  
No. of deaths 599 112 98 101 127 161  
5-Year relative survival (95% CI)b   77.0 (70.9–82.2) 75.3 (69.4–80.5) 76.3 (70.4–81.4) 70.0 (64.0–75.4) 53.2 (46.9–59.2)  
Crude hazard ratio (95% CI)   1.00 0.87 (0.67–1.15) 0.89 (0.68–1.16) 1.21 (0.94–1.55) 1.82 (1.43–2.31)c 0.001c
Adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)e   1.00 0.82 (0.62–1.09) 0.87 (0.65–1.17) 0.92 (0.69–1.22) 1.07 (0.81–1.41) 0.376

Abbreviation: CI=confidence interval.

a

P for trend is computed by entering the quintiles as a continuous term (score variable: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) in the Cox model.

b

Derived using the Ederer II method; ratio of observed survival in women with breast cancer to the survival that would have been expected for the women of the general population, which is matched for age. Expected survival was derived from the Malaysian life table.

c

Statistically significant.

d

Derived using Cox regression adjusted for age at diagnosis, ethnicity, tumour size, number of positive axillary lymph nodes, distant metastasis, oestrogen/progesterone receptor status, HER2 status, tumour grade, lymphovascular invasion, type of surgery, radiotherapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy regime, hormone therapy and platelet–lymphocyte ratio.

e

Similar as model 3, but now adjusted for neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio.