| Title: | White Blood Cell Count, Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, and Incident Cancer in the UK Biobank. |
| Journal: | Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention |
| Published: | 3 Apr 2024 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38568024/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-23-1145 |
Publication 9971
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: The peripheral white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) reflect levels of inflammation and adaptive immunity. They are associated with cancer prognosis, but their associations with cancer incidence are not established.</p>
METHODS: We evaluated 443,540 cancer-free adults in the UK Biobank with data on total WBC and its subsets, follow-up starting one year after baseline. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) per quartile of WBC or NLR for incidence of 73 cancer types.</p>
RESULTS: 22,747 incident cancers were diagnosed during a median of 6.9 years of follow-up. WBC was associated with risk of cancer overall (HR 1.05, 95%CI 1.03-1.06), chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SLL: 2.79, 2.45-3.18), lung cancer (1.14, 1.08-1.20), and breast cancer (1.05-1.02-1.08). NLR was positively associated with cancer overall (HR 1.03, 95%CI 1.02-1.04, per quartile) and kidney cancer (1.16, 1.07-1.25), and inversely with CLL/SLL (0.38, 0.33-0.42).</p>
CONCLUSIONS: High WBC or NLR may reflect excessive inflammatory status, promoting development of some cancers. Conversely, low NLR indicates a relative rise in lymphocytes, which could reflect an increase in circulating premalignant cells before CLL/SLL diagnosis. Peripheral WBC and NLR, in combination with other clinical information or biomarkers, may be useful tools for cancer risk stratification.</p>
IMPACT: Elevated levels of white blood cells or an increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio may indicate an overly active inflammatory response, potentially contributing to the eventual onset of certain types of cancer.</p>
5 Authors
- Minkyo Song
- Barry I Graubard
- Erikka Loftfield
- Charles S Rabkin
- Eric A Engels
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 52255 | Genetic predictors of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and its association with chronic disease incidence and mortality |
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