A higher platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio is prevalent in the presence of circulating tumor microemboli and is a potential prognostic factor for non-metastatic colon cancer

Author(s)

Abdallah, Emne Ali ^[1] ; Silva, Virgilio Souza E. ^[2] ; Braun, Alexcia Camila ^[1] ; Gasparini, Vanessa Alves ^[1] ; Catin Kupper, Bruna Elisa ^[1] ; Tariki, Milena Shizue ^[2] ; Rodriguez Tarazona, Jose Gabriel ^[1] ; Takahashi, Renata Mayumi ^[3] ; Aguiar Junior, Samuel ^[3] ; Domingos Chinen, Ludmilla Thome ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] AC Camargo Canc Ctr, Int Res Ctr, 440 Tagua St, BR-01508010 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] AC Camargo Canc Ctr, Dept Med Oncol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] AC Camargo Canc Ctr, Dept Pelv Surg, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY; v. 14, n. 1 JAN 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is a common and often deadly cancer. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been implicated as a potentially valuable prognosis factor. The detection of circulating tumor microemboli (CTM) and of simple blood component parameters that reflect inflammatory status, such as the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), may provide information about tumor progression. The aim of this study was to explore the importance of CTCs, CTM, PLR, and NLR prospectively in non-metastatic colon cancer progression. CTCs were enriched using ISET (R) (Isolation by SizE of Tumor cells) and identified by immunocytochemical exclusion of leukocytes. We evaluated CTCs and blood cell parameters in a cohort of 69 stage I-III colon cancer patients (52.2% men; median age, 61 years; age range, 19-87 years) at a baseline timepoint prior to resection surgery. The median of CTC levels at baseline was 20 cells/8 mL (0-94) and higher levels were associated with CTM presence (p = 0.02). CTM were found in 18 (26.1%) patients. Of 18 stage I patients, 33.3% had CTM and of 51 stages II or III patients, 13.7% had CTM (p = 0.08). Patients with a high PLR (>124) were mostly (75.6%) diagnosed with high-risk stages II/III cancer (stages I/low-risk II, 24.4%; p = 0.014). All 8 patients that had disease recurrence during follow-up had a high PLR (p = 0.02 vs. low PLR). NLR was not significantly associated with disease stage or recurrence. The present results indicate that CTCs and PLR analyses may be clinically useful for colon cancer management and risk stratification. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/16952-6 - Identificação de Proteínas Relacionadas à Resistência a Quimioterapia em Células Tumorais Circulantes de Pacientes com Câncer de Cólon Localmente Avançado
• Grantee: Emne Ali Abdallah
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 19/18100-8 - Analysis of blood markers in patients with Osteosarcoma, Soft Tissue Sarcomas and Desmoid Tumor
• Grantee: Alexcia Camila Braun
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 16/18786-9 - Study of blood components as probable prognostic and predictive markers of response to treatment of advanced colon and rectum cancers
• Grantee: Ludmilla Thomé Domingos Chinen
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants