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Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the stage I to II breast cancer patients included in the study

From: The prognostic significance of tumour cell detection in the peripheral blood versus the bone marrow in 733 early-stage breast cancer patients

  

All patients

CTC positive

CTC negative

 
  

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

P-value*

Number:

 

733

100%

58

7.9%

675

92.1%

 

Age:

< 35

15

2.0%

1

1.7%

14

2.1%

0.503

 

35 to 45

89

12.1%

10

17.2%

79

11.7%

 
 

45 to 55

203

27.7%

18

31.0%

185

27.4%

 
 

> 55

426

58.1%

29

50.0%

397

58.8%

 

Tumour size:

pT1 (< 2.0 cm)

405

55.3%

30

51.7%

375

55.6%

0.373§

 

pT2 (2.0 to 5.0 cm)

225

30.7%

20

34.5%

205

30.4%

 
 

pT3 (> 5.0 cm)

2

0.3%

2

3.4%

0

0%

 
 

pTX

60

8.2%

3

5.2%

57

8.4%

 

Histological grade:

Grade 1

187

25.5%

9

15.5%

178

26.4%

0.186

 

Grade 2

350

47.7%

29

50.0%

321

47.6%

 
 

Grade 3

186

25.4%

18

31.0%

168

24.9%

 
 

Unknown

10

1.4%

2

3.4%

8

1.2%

 

ER status:

Positive

516

70.4%

31

53.4%

485

71.9%

0.002

 

Negative

179

24.4%

24

41.4%

155

23.0%

 
 

Unknown

38

5.2%

3

5.2%

35

5.2%

 

PR status:

Positive

401

54.7%

25

43.1%

376

55.7%

0.046

 

Negative

288

39.3%

30

51.7%

258

38.2%

 
 

Unknown

44

6.0%

3

5.2%

41

6.1%

 

HER2 status:

Positive

83

11.3%

15

25.9%

68

10.1%

< 0.001

 

Negative

610

83.2%

40

69.0%

570

84.4%

 
 

Unknown

40

5.5%

3

5.2%

37

5.5%

 

Node status:

pN0

483

65.9%

34

58.6%

449

66.5%

0.089

 

pN1

150

20.5%

11

19.0%

139

20.6%

 
 

pN2

53

7.2%

9

15.5%

44

6.5%

 
 

pN3

22

3.0%

3

5.2%

19

2.8%

 
 

pNX

25

3.4%

1

1.7%

24

3.6%

 

Vascular invasion:

Yes

116

15.8%

12

20.7%

104

15.4%

0.171

 

No

524

71.5%

35

60.3%

489

72.4%

 
 

Unknown

93

12.7%

11

19.0%

82

12.1%

 

Bone marrow status:

Positive

86

11.7%

17

29.3%

69

10.2%

< 0.001

 

Negative

605

82.5%

35

60.3%

570

84.4%

 
 

Unknown

42

5.7%

6

10.3%

36

5.3%

 

Adjuvant systemic treatment:

No treatment

391

53.3%

28

48.3%

363

53.8%

0.392

 

Chemo +/- Hormonal

155

21.1%

16

27.6%

139

20.6%

 
 

Hormonal therapy Only

164

22.4%

11

19.0%

153

22.7%

 
 

Unknown

23

3.1%

3

5.2%

20

3.0%

 

Metastasis:

Number

149

20.3%

22

37.9%

127

18.8%

0.001

 

Median time to event

36.4 months

30.8 months

37.2 months

 
 

Median followup time

84.3 months

78.6 months

85.2 months

 

Breast cancer-specific deaths:

Number

122

16.6%

19

32.8%

103

15.3%

< 0.001

 

Median time to event

42.9 months

54.3 months

42.0 months

 
 

Median followup time

99.2 months

94.1 months

99.2 months

 
  1. * P-value (Pearson Chi-squared test).
  2. § = Chi-squared analysis included pT1 and pT2 tumours only.
  3. CTC, circulating tumour cell; ER, estrogen receptor; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; PR, progesterone receptor