Table 1 Examples of studies examining the prognostic relevance of disseminated tumor cells identified by immunocytochemistry in bone marrow of breast cancer patients without overt distant metastases (stage M0)

Schlimok et al. (1987) [103]

DDFS (155)

Cote et al. (1991) [81]

DFS, OS (49)

Harbeck et al. [104]

DFS, OS^a (100)

Diel et al. (1996) [82]

DFS^a, OS^a (727)

Molino et al. (1997) [105]

None (109)

Mansi et al. (1999) [83]

DFS, OS (350)

Braun et al. (2000) [10]

DFS^a, OS^a (552)

Gebauer et al. (2001) [4]

DFS^a, OS^a (393)

Gerber et al. (2001) [6]

DFS^a, OS^a (484)

Wiedswang et al. (2003) [22]

DDFS^a, BCSS^a (817)

Braun et al.: pooled analysis (2005) [8]

DDFS^a, OS^a (4,703)