The Correlation Between Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Breast cancer is still the most common cancer in women and the leading cause of death in women in the world. Chemotherapy is currently one of the therapeutic modalities used in the management of breast cancer; chemotherapy affects energy expenditure and causes a decrease in physical activity ability, which results in a decrease in quality of life. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been investigated as a prognostic indicator for various cancers. NLR reflects the systemic inflammatory status associated with clinical conditions that impact quality of life. This study is a prospective cohort observational method with a quantitative approach among 37 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. NLR was assessed through blood tests, and quality of life was evaluated using the EORTC QLQ-BR45 questionnaire before and after chemotherapy. The correlation between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and quality of life was investigated using the collected data. The results revealed a strong negative correlation (r = -0.850, p = 0.068) between delta NLR and functional quality of life and a moderate correlation (r = 0.49, p = 0.401) between delta NLR and symptomatic quality of life in early-stage breast cancer patients. A significant correlation was found (r = -1.00, p < 0.001) between NLR and symptom scale quality of life in patients with early-stage cancer prior to chemotherapy. A correlation exists between NLR and quality of life, as measured by both the functional scale and symptom scale, particularly in patients with early-stage cancer before chemotherapy.