Evaluation of the RDW Index (Red Cell Distribution Width) in Women with Breast Cancer Treated with Doxorubicin in a One-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the most frequent cause of death in women. Doxorubicin, an anthracycline, is an important drug due to its efficacy in treating solid cancers, especially breast cancer. However, this drug is often responsible for cardiotoxicity that may affect more than 25% of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the red cell distribution width (RDW) in women with breast cancer to monitor adverse events associated with the use of doxorubicin. A prospective study of 80 women with breast malignancy undergoing neoadjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy was conducted. The patients were evaluated at baseline (T0), just after the last cycle of chemotherapy with doxorubicin (T1), and 1 year after the treatment (T2). There was a significant increase over the time points for the RDW (p < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between the RDW and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at T1. The RDW did not show a significant difference between the groups classified according to cardiotoxicity. Based on these results, the RDW is a cost-effective test that shows a relationship with the doxorubicin response, but not with cardiotoxicity. It is a potential biomarker to evaluate patients with breast cancer after they receive chemotherapy with doxorubicin.

Utilizing peripheral blood inflammatory biomarker (PBIB) to predict response to systemic therapy in patients with breast cancer

“…RDW could be used as a potential pre-treatment predictor of response in patients with BC and other malignancies. [ 31 32 ]…”

Red Cell Distribution Width as a Predictor of Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…Complete blood count-based biomarkers have been shown to correlate well with clinical outcomes in numerous chronic [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], infectious [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ], and surgical conditions [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], as well as in cancer [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. In particular, the potential role of the red cell distribution width (RDW), a biomarker of the heterogeneity of red blood cells’ size, in predicting adverse events and survival currently represents a topic of intense research in numerous clinical conditions [ 27 , 28 ], including malignancies such as colorectal cancer [ 29 , 30 , 31 ], esophageal cancer [ 32 , 33 ], lung cancer [ 34 , 35 ], breast cancer [ 36 , 37 ], and other malignancies [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. In addition, several studies have shown that alterations in the RDW correlate with liver function and prognosis in numerous hepatic cancer-predisposing conditions, such as hepatitis B, chronic liver disease, and fibrosis [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”