PD797 - C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH BMI BUT REMAINS STABLE DURING EARLY CHEMOTHERAPY IN BREAST CANCER

PD797

C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH BMI BUT REMAINS STABLE DURING EARLY CHEMOTHERAPY IN BREAST CANCER

M. B. Carlini^1,*, J. A. C. Marcarini¹, L. C. B. S. Neto¹, L. B. de Azevedo¹, W. R. Grippa¹, L. C. L. Junior^1,2

¹Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil, ²Department of Pediatric Oncology, Pan American Health Organization – World Health Organization (PAHO-WHO), Washington, United States

Rationale: Systemic inflammation is a key mechanism in cancer progression and treatment response. Circulating biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been proposed as indicators of inflammatory status. However, evidence on their short-term dynamics during chemotherapy and their relationship with nutritional status remains limited. This study investigated longitudinal changes in inflammatory biomarkers and their association with anthropometric characteristics in women with non-metastatic breast cancer. 

Methods: Prospective cohort study included women with stage I–III breast cancer undergoing outpatient chemotherapy. Biomarkers were assessed before the first (C1) and third cycles (C3). Anthropometric evaluation included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, tricipital skinfold, arm circumference and corrected arm muscle area. Longitudinal changes were analyzed using mixed models, and correlations were assessed using Spearman coefficients (p<0.05).

Results: Thirty patients were included. CRP was elevated at baseline and remained stable during treatment, with no significant time effect (p=0.951). NLR and PLR remained below common clinical thresholds but showed slight increases; PLR increased in unadjusted analysis (p=0.049) but not after adjustment. BMI was independently associated with CRP levels (p=0.012). CRP showed moderate temporal stability, whereas NLR and PLR showed weaker non-significant correlations. 

Conclusion: Inflammatory biomarkers remained relative stability during early chemotherapy, with CRP associated with BMI. These findings support a link between nutritional status and systemic inflammation and highlight the potential role of simple biomarkers for monitoring metabolic and inflammatory responses during cancer treatment.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared