Features of hematological and immune disorders in the combined treatment of breast cancer patients with the risk of development of late radiation damage
Authors: Kulinich G.V. , Kuzmenko O.V. , Sorochan P.P. 
Published: February 2023

Background. Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common forms of malignant neoplasms among the female population of Ukraine. The widespread use of radiation therapy in the treatment of BC, along with the improvement of treatment efficiency, inevitably leads to an increase in the probability of early and/or late radiation injuries (LRI), which puts before scientists the task of a detailed study of this problem and the search for ways to prevent the development of LRI.The body’s reaction to the development of a malignant neoplasm and to antitumor treatment is largely determined by the state of homeostatic mechanisms, in the regulation of which one of the key roles is played by the immune system. Recently, special attention has been focused on the role of immune inflammatory responses in the pathogenesis of LRI in cancer patients. All of the above determines the urgency of finding a differential approach to immunocorrective therapy as a prevention of the development of LRI. Рurpose – to determine the characteristics of changes in hematological indicators and the subpopulation composition of lymphocytes during immunocorrective therapy as a prevention of the development of LRI in patients with BC. Materials and Methods. 55 patients with BC were examined. The patients were divided into groups: the comparison group (n=13) – patients with BC with the risk of developing LRI who were given standard therapy, the main group (n=15) – patients with BC with the risk of developing LRI who were given immunocorrective therapy against the background of standard treatment. The control group (n=27) consisted of patients with BC without the risk of developing LRI. The groups were comparable in terms of age and disease stage. Results. Immunocorrective therapy increased the number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin level, CD19+-, CD3+CD8+-lymphocytes, NK-cells, CRP, IL-6, IL-2 and TNF-α in patients of the main group. In patients of the comparison group, after treatment, lower levels of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, lymphocytes, the relative number of CD8+-T-lymphocytes, CD19+-B-lymphocytes and higher levels of the relative number of eosinophils, monocytes, neutrophils, cytokine levels, and CRP were found in comparison with the indicators of patients, who underwent immunocorrective treatment. In patients with BC of the main group, immunocorrection reduces systemic changes that can contribute to the development of late radiation damage and recurrence of the oncological process. The inclusion of immunocorrective therapy with the use of melatonin had a positive effect on the hematological and immune indicators of patients. Conclusions. Immunocorrective therapy in patients at risk of developing LRI optimized immune and hematological parameters: it contributed to an increase in the number of erythrocytes by 1.25 times, hemoglobin level by 1.6 times, CD19+- (1.5 times), CD3+CD8+-lymphocytes (1.1 times), and a decrease in NK cells (1.77 times), CRP by 2.19 times, IL-6 by 1.8 times, IL-2 by 2.13 times, and TNF-α by 3 times, 22 times. It was found that in patients with BC with the possibility of developing LRIwithout immunotherapy, lower levels of erythrocytes (by 1.15 times), hemoglobin (by 1.13 times), lymphocytes (by 1.3 times), and the relative number of CD8+ were observed after treatment - T lymphocytes (1.4 times), CD19+ B lymphocytes (6.5 times) and higher levels of relative numbers of eosinophils, monocytes, neutrophils, cytokine levels (1.5 times) and CRP (2.1 times) in comparison with the indicators of patients who underwent immunocorrective treatment. The appointment of immunocorrective therapy with melatonin in a daily dose of 9 mg during radiation treatment for patients with BC with the risk of developing LRI led to the normalization of hematoimmune indicators, a significant decrease in the systemic inflammatory reaction.