Diagnostic value of Platelet/lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) for predicting sentinel axillary lymph node positivity in early-stage breast cancer compared with ultrasonography.

Abstract

In breast cancer, the most important prognostic factor is axillary lymph node metastasis. However, there is no method which can diagnose axillary lymph node metastasis preoperatively with high sensitivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and sentinel lymph node metastasis in early-stage breast cancer. In total, 202 cases which were operated under early-stage breast cancer diagnosis in Ankara City Hospital General Surgery Department were evaluated in retrospectively. We separated the patients into two categories according to their PLR. PLR groups were evaluated for relationship with sentinel lymph node metastasis. At the last part, sentinel lymph node positive sensitivity was evaluated in PLR and preoperative USG groups. Results showed that patients above PLR cut-off value had 0.43 times more risk of having a positive SLN in comparison with patients who had a PLR lower than cut-off (OR=0.435, 95%CI:0.221-0.856, P<.016). When the PLR and USG were used in combination, sensitivity goes up to 75.5% and specificity 96%. The rate of success in diagnosing metastatic SLN in early-stage breast cancer is higher in PLR when compared with USG and other imaging methods.