Prognostic Nutritional Index and HALP Score Predict Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer

This retrospective cohort study evaluated the association between the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte-platelet (HALP) scores with lymph node metastasis (LNM) in breast cancer patients. The study included 799 patients, of whom 412 (51.6%) were confirmed to have LNM, while 387 (48.4%) were LNM-negative.

The median HALP score was significantly lower in LNM-positive patients (37.9, IQR 28.2-46.8) compared to LNM-negative patients (42.0, IQR 33.4-54.6), with a p-value less than 0.001. PNI scores were also assessed, but specific results for PNI were not detailed in the available data.

Safety and tolerability were not reported, and no adverse events or discontinuations were documented. The study's limitations were not reported, but as an observational study, it can only demonstrate association, not causation. The retrospective design further limits the strength of the conclusions.

Clinically, these findings suggest that lower HALP scores may be associated with a higher likelihood of LNM in breast cancer patients. However, due to the observational nature and lack of reported limitations, these results should be interpreted cautiously and not used to infer causality or guide treatment decisions without further prospective validation.