TY - JOUR

T1 - Prognostic Value of Pretreatment Plasma C-Reactive Protein in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer

AU - Andersen, Høgni H.

AU - Bojesen, Stig E.

AU - Johansen, Julia S.

AU - Ejlertsen, Bent

AU - Berg, Tobias

AU - Tuxen, Malgorzata

AU - Madsen, Kasper

AU - Danø, Hella

AU - Flyger, Henrik

AU - Jensen, Maj Britt

AU - Nielsen, Dorte L.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: ©2024 American Association for Cancer Research.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - BACKGROUND: Breast cancer incidence is now the highest among all cancers and accountable for 6.6% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. Studies of the prognostic utility of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement in early-stage breast cancer have given discrepant results. METHODS: We identified 6,942 patients in the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group database with early-stage breast cancer diagnosed between 2002 and 2016 who had a measure of pretreatment plasma CRP. Outcomes were recurrence-free interval and survival for a period up to 10 years. We analyzed associations with plasma CRP using Fine-Gray proportional subdistribution hazards model with recurrence-free interval. Data on plasma CRP were analyzed per doubling of concentration and in relation to CRP levels of <3 mg/L, 3 to 10 mg/L, and >10 mg/L and stratified according to standard clinical parameters in sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: A doubling of the plasma CRP concentration was associated with increased risk of recurrence (multivariate adjusted HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08) and shorter survival (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.09-1.16) in multivariate analyses. Survival was shorter in patients with plasma CRP levels of 3 to 10 and >10 mg/L versus <3 mg/L, with multivariate adjusted HRs of 1.30; 95% CI, 1.17-1.45 and 1.65; 95% CI, 1.39-1.95, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated plasma CRP measured before treatment in patients with early-stage breast cancer is an independent biomarker of increased risk of recurrence and early death. IMPACT: CRP measures before treatment might be used to individualize follow-up of patients with early-stage breast cancer.

AB - BACKGROUND: Breast cancer incidence is now the highest among all cancers and accountable for 6.6% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. Studies of the prognostic utility of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement in early-stage breast cancer have given discrepant results. METHODS: We identified 6,942 patients in the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group database with early-stage breast cancer diagnosed between 2002 and 2016 who had a measure of pretreatment plasma CRP. Outcomes were recurrence-free interval and survival for a period up to 10 years. We analyzed associations with plasma CRP using Fine-Gray proportional subdistribution hazards model with recurrence-free interval. Data on plasma CRP were analyzed per doubling of concentration and in relation to CRP levels of <3 mg/L, 3 to 10 mg/L, and >10 mg/L and stratified according to standard clinical parameters in sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: A doubling of the plasma CRP concentration was associated with increased risk of recurrence (multivariate adjusted HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08) and shorter survival (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.09-1.16) in multivariate analyses. Survival was shorter in patients with plasma CRP levels of 3 to 10 and >10 mg/L versus <3 mg/L, with multivariate adjusted HRs of 1.30; 95% CI, 1.17-1.45 and 1.65; 95% CI, 1.39-1.95, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated plasma CRP measured before treatment in patients with early-stage breast cancer is an independent biomarker of increased risk of recurrence and early death. IMPACT: CRP measures before treatment might be used to individualize follow-up of patients with early-stage breast cancer.

U2 - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-1299

DO - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-1299

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38358318

AN - SCOPUS:85192028644

VL - 33

SP - 662

EP - 670

JO - Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

JF - Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

SN - 1055-9965

IS - 5

ER -