This study examined whether high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at the time of diagnosis of breast cancer were associated with overall survival, disease-free survival, death from breast cancer, and recurrence of breast cancer. Plasma levels of CRP were evaluated in 2910 women who were followed for up to seven years after they were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Elevated CRP levels across tertiles at the time of diagnosis were associated with reduced overall and disease-free survival and with increased risk of death from breast cancer (P <0.001), but not with recurrence. Dividing CRP levels into octiles resulted in a stepwise increased risk of reduced overall survival (P <0.001) and the multifactor-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) among women in the highest versus lowest octile of CRP was 2.51 (95% CI, 1.53 to 4.12). Compared to women with CRP levels in the 0 to 25% percentile, the multifactor-adjusted HR of reduced overall survival among women with CRP levels ≥95% percentile was 3.58 (2.36 to 5.42). Therefore, elevated CRP levels at the time of diagnosis of breast cancer are associated with reduced overall and disease-free survival and with increased risk of death from breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res. 2011 Jun 3;13(3):R55. PMID: 21639875.
