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Non-Destructive Evaluation of Regional Cell Density Within Tumor Aggregates Following Drug Treatment
Published on: June 21, 2022
Urinary neopterin, hemoglobin and peripheral blood cell counts in breast carcinoma patients treated with dose-dense
Bohuslav Melichar1, Lubor Urbánek, Lenka Krcmová
1Department of Oncology & Radiotherapy, Charles University Medical School & Teaching Hospital, Czech Republic. bohuslav.melichar@fnol.cz
Background:
Among other actions, chemotherapy may induce an activation of systemic inflammatory and immune response.
Patients And Methods:
Urinary neopterin was evaluated, using high-performance liquid chromatography, before and during dose-dense combination chemotherapy with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and sequential paclitaxel (neoadjuvant or adjuvant) in 194 patients with breast carcinoma. Hemoglobin, peripheral blood cell count and, in a subgroup of patients, iron metabolism were also evaluated.
Results:
Urinary neopterin increased significantly during the chemotherapy. The increase in urinary neopterin was accompanied by a gradual decrease of hemoglobin. A marked increase in serum ferritin concentration was observed during the chemotherapy, along with fluctuations of iron concentrations. Among 161 patients treated with primary chemotherapy, the pathological response was evaluable in 150. Pathological complete response was observed in 37 cases (25%). In patients with pathological complete response, significantly lower serum ferritin concentrations were observed.
Conclusion:
Present data demonstrate the presence of systemic immune activation, reflected in increased urinary neopterin concentrations, in breast carcinoma patients treated with dose-dense chemotherapy. Lower ferritin concentrations were predictive of pathological complete response.