The Inflammation Equation: Linking Systemic Markers to Breast Cancer Staging

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy among women worldwide, and its prognosis is influenced by a complex interplay of biological factors. Recent studies suggest that systemic inflammatory markers—such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)—may serve as potential prognostic indicators. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between these markers and breast cancer staging in an Indian cohort.

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 60 patients with histopathologically confirmed breast cancer were enrolled at a tertiary care center in Pune, India. Preoperative blood samples were collected to measure CRP and IL-6 levels, and complete blood counts were used to calculate the NLR. Clinical staging was performed according to standard TNM criteria, and tumor grading was determined histologically. Statistical analyses included Spearman’s correlation and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess the predictive value of the markers.

Results: The study cohort primarily comprised patients aged 51–60 years (31.7%). The most common clinical stages were T2N0Mx (40.0%) and T2N1Mx (30.0%). Although no statistically significant correlation was found between CRP, IL-6, or NLR and tumor grade (p > 0.05), ROC analysis revealed that CRP had a moderate discriminatory ability (AUC: 0.661, p=0.127) in predicting breast cancer severity, while IL-6 and NLR showed limited predictive power.

Conclusions: Systemic inflammatory markers, particularly CRP, may have some potential in discriminating between breast cancer stages; however, their standalone predictive value appears limited. Further studies with larger cohorts and longitudinal designs are needed to validate these findings and refine prognostic models.