Key clinical point: In clinically fit older women with breast cancer (BC), high interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels before chemotherapy treatment may predict chemotherapy-induced deterioration in frailty status.
Major finding: Overall, 25.8% of patients experienced a decline in frailty status due to chemotherapy. Higher vs lower prechemotherapy levels of both IL-6 and CRP were associated with increased odds of decline in frailty status (odds ratio 3.52; P = .003).
Study details : Findings are from a prospective study, The Hurria Older Patients with BC Study, including 295 robust women with stage I-III BC who received chemotherapy.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and other sources. Three authors declared receiving research funding or royalties, owning patents, or holding stock options in pharmaceutical companies. The other authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Ji J, Sun C-L, et al. Inflammation and clinical decline after adjuvant chemotherapy in older adults with breast cancer: Results from The Hurria Older Patients prospective study. J Clin Oncol. 2022 (Sep 20). Doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.01217