Additional Prognostic Value of Lymph Node Ratio (LNR) and Number of Negative Lymph Nodes (NLNs) in Chinese Patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of lymph node ratio (LNR), number of removed lymph nodes (RLNs), and number of negative lymph nodes (NLNs) in Chinese patients with triple negative breast cancer.

Methods: The study cohort comprised 394 breast cancer patients with the triple negative subtype. The log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards analysis was employed to identify prognostic clinicopathological factors.

Results: The median follow-up time was 61 months, and the five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 63.75% and 64.97%, respectively. Univariate Cox survival analysis revealed that pN stage, LNR, and NLNs were significant prognostic factors for DFS and OS (all, p<0.05). Multivariate analysis including pN stage and LNR showed that LNR was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (p=0.047) and OS (p=0.0497). When combining pN stage, LNR, and NLNs together, only NLNs was an independent prognostic factor for DFS and OS (p=0.014). LNR is prognostically superior to pN stage in patients with triple negative breast cancer.

Conclusions: Our study revealed that LNR and NLNs can provide additional prognostic value for DFS and OS. Moreover, LNR had a better prognostic value compared with pN stage.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Lymph node ratio; Negative lymph node; Prognosis.