Very high and very low levels of preoperative absolute monocyte count indicate poor long-term survival outcomes in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A preliminary study

Abstract

Introduction. We aimed to assess the prognostic significance of preoperative absolute monocyte count (AMC) in baseline peripheral blood samples among pancreatic cancer (PC) patients as possible manifest signs of non-optimal immunity status. Material and methods. PC patients who underwent palliative surgical treatment without earlier chemo- or radio­-therapy (n = 59). Results. Median AMC was comparable in each subgroup, showing no significant differences. We have adopted an arbitra­ry trichotomic AMC division: low (<0.4 G/l, n = 9), medium (>0.4 and ≤0.6 G/l, n = 36) and high (>0.6 G/l, n = 14). Optimal (medium AMC) and non-optimal (both low and high AMC) was independent and a statistically significant predictor of OS. Resectability and optimal AMC constituted best Cox proportional hazard model, being equivalent predictors of OS. Conclusions. Baseline AMC status may be an independent predictor of OS in this group of patients. Further research is needed to explain the biological nature of this phenomenon more widely.