Background and Objectives: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) improves survival by increasing pathologic complete response (pCR). Blood-based indexes have been studied in breast cancer for predicting pCR and prognosis, but the results are conflicting. We aimed to assess the impact of inflammatory and nutritional indexes on pCR and survival. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 304 patients. Pre-NAC laboratory data were used to calculate their neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR), pan-immune inflammation values (PIV), lactate dehydrogenase–albumin ratios (LAR), and prognostic nutritional indexes. The optimal cut-off values were determined through an analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to reveal the factors predicting pCR. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted to identify prognostic factors predicting survival. Results: The median follow-up was 38.5 months. pCR was achieved in 41.4% of the patients. In the univariate analyses, the NLR (p = 0.032) and PIV (p = 0.002) were indexes associated with pCR. In the multivariate analysis, the PIV (p = 0.008) was the only index significantly correlated with pCR. According to the multivariate Cox regression analyses, clinical stage 3 (p = 0.032), a pathologic response other than pCR (p = 0.021), and a high LAR (≥4.72) (p = 0.002) were correlated with increased recurrence risk. The univariate Cox regression analyses revealed that failure to achieve pCR (p = 0.037) and the presence of a high LAR (p = 0.044) were significant predictors of overall survival. However, the multivariate analyses failed to identify any significant predictors of death. Conclusions: We found that the PIV was more effective than the other indexes in predicting pCR. To our knowledge, this study is the first to determine an association between the LAR and disease-free survival in patients with breast cancer receiving NAC. We concluded that a high LAR was a poor prognostic factor, especially in patients without a pCR. Therefore, close postoperative monitoring and the intensification of adjuvant treatment should be considered for these patients. However, further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Background: An association between the ABO blood group and the risk of certain malignancies, including pancreatic and gastric cancer, has been reported previously. However, it is unclear whether this association is valid for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). In this study, ABO blood groups and the Rh factor were investigated in a series of GIST cases. Material and Methods: In 162 patients with GIST, blood group and Rh factor were examined and compared with a control group of 3,022,883 healthy volunteer blood donors of the Turkish Red Crescent between 2004 and 2011. The relationship of blood groups with tumor size, mitotic activity, and age were also evaluated. Results: Overall, the ABO blood group and Rh factor distributions of the 162 patients with GIST were similar to those of the general population. There were no significant differences between both ABO blood types and Rh factor in terms of tumor size, mitotic activity, and age. Conclusion: This is the first study reported on this issue. In our study, we didn't find any relationship between GIST and ABO blood group and Rh factor. However further studies with larger number of patients are needed to establish the role of blood groups in this population.

Background: This study aimed to assess the prognostic and predictive implications of CD47, CD68, and CD163, biomarkers of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), on the treatment efficacy and clinical outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Additionally, the prognostic value of TAM-related indices, such as the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and monocyte-to-albumin ratio (MAR), was evaluated. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 54 patients with locally advanced or oligometastatic NPC treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), with or without induction chemotherapy, was analyzed. Patients were categorized based on the cumulative expression scores for CD47, CD68, and CD163: negative/low (0–3 points) and high (4–6 points). MLR and MAR were also stratified as low MLR (<0.545) vs. high MLR (≥0.545) and low MAR (<16.145) vs. high MAR (≥16.145). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Results: High CD47, CD68, and CD163 expression levels were correlated with advanced clinical stage, reduced CCRT response, and elevated MLR and MAR. These TAM biomarkers were linearly correlated with each other and with established risk factors such as advanced age and elevated EBV-DNA levels. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that patients with low TAM expression had significantly longer OS and progression-free survival (PFS) than those with high TAM expression. Multivariate analysis identified high CD163, MLR, and MAR levels as independent adverse prognostic factors for OS. Elevated MLR is an independent risk factor for both OS and PFS in patients with NPC. Conclusions: CD47, CD68, and CD163 are significant prognostic markers in NPC, with higher levels being associated with poorer OS and PFS. Elevated MLR and MAR values also predict worse outcomes, underscoring their value as prognostic tools. CD163 and MLR are particularly strong predictors, highlighting the crucial role of TAMs in NPC management and suggesting that CD163 is a potential therapeutic target within the immune checkpoint pathway.