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. 2024 Aug 21;43:240. doi: 10.1186/s13046-024-03149-x

Table 3.

CTC Prevalence Rates from WG-Stained Cytology Slides by Various Demographics and Clinical Characteristics. The Fisher’s exact test p-values shown (when applicable) are for the comparison of the proportions of either HV subjects or MBC patients with and without one or more CTCs or five or more CTCs between the various clinical and demographical groupings

Parameter and Categories Eligible Subjects with Evaluable WG-Stained Slides
All HV Subjects All MBC Patients
N  >  = 1 CTC  >  = 5 CTC N  >  = 1 CTC  >  = 5 CTC
All Patients 69 3 (4.3%) 2 (2.9%) 70 30 (42.9%) 15 (21.4%)
Age at the time of the blood collection
 < 30 14 1 (7.1%) 1 ( 7.1%) 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 (0.0%)
 30—39 30 1 (3.3%) 1 (3.3%) 2 1 (50.0%) 1 (50.0%)
 40—49 13 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 7 6 (85.7%) 3 (42.9%)
 50—59 8 1 (12.5%) 0 (0.0%) 12 2 (16.7%) 0 (0.0%)
 60—69 4 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 23 13 (56.5%) 6 (26.1%)
 >  = 70 0 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 26 8 (30.8%) 5 (19.2%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 0.528 0.815 0.011 0.097
Blood Collection Method
 Venipuncture 69 3 (4.3%) 2 ( 2.9%) 31 4 (12.9%) 0 ( 0.0%)
 Port 0 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 39 26 (66.7%) 15 (38.5%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 0.000 0.000
Volume of Blood Processed
 ≤ 8.0 mL 19 1 (5.3%) 0 ( 0.0%) 16 4 (25.0%) 1 ( 6.3%)
 8.5—9.0 mL 30 2 (6.7%) 2 ( 6.7%) 21 9 (42.9%) 2 ( 9.5%)
 9.5 mL 14 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 21 13 (61.9%) 9 (42.9%)
 ≥ 10.0 mL 6 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 12 4 (33.3%) 3 (25.0%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 0.757 0.134 0.023
Menopausal Status
 Pre-Menopausal 54 2 (3.7%) 1 ( 1.9%) 7 4 (57.1%) 3 (42.9%)
 Post-Menopausal 12 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 60 26 (43.3%) 12 (20.0%)
 Unknown 3 1 (33.3%) 1 (33.3%) 3 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 0.199 0.114 0.367 0.263
Race
 White 62 3 (4.8%) 2 ( 3.2%) 64 26 (40.6%) 12 (18.8%)
 Black 1 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 6 4 (66.7%) 3 (50.0%)
 Other 6 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 1.000 0.391 0.108
Smoking Status
 Never Smoked 45 2 (4.4%) 2 ( 4.4%) 34 14 (41.2%) 6 (17.6%)
 Previous Smoker 21 1 (4.8%) 0 ( 0.0%) 31 13 (41.9%) 9 (29.0%)
 Current Smoker 2 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 5 3 (60.0%) 0 ( 0.0%)
 Unknown 1 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 1.000 0.808 0.310
Previous History of Cancer?
 Yes 1 0 (0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 4 1 (25.0%) 0 ( 0.0%)
 No 68 3 (4.4%) 2 ( 2.9%) 66 29 (43.9%) 15 (22.7%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 1.000 0.630 0.571
Current Diagnosis of Hypertension?
 Yes 4 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 38 20 (52.6%) 8 (21.1%)
 No 65 3 ( 4.6%) 2 ( 3.1%) 32 10 (31.3%) 7 (21.9%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 1.000 0.092 1.000
Current Diagnosis of High Cholesterol?
 Yes 2 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 15 7 (46.7%) 3 (20.0%)
 No 67 3 ( 4.5%) 2 ( 3%) 55 23 (41.8%) 12 (21.8%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 1.000 0.775 1.000
Current Taking Growth Factors?
 Yes 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 2 2 (100.0%) 1 (50.0%)
 No 69 3 ( 4.3%) 2 ( 2.9%) 68 28 (41.2%) 14 (20.6%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 0.180 0.385
Current Taking Anti-Coagulants?
 Yes 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 11 5 (45.5%) 4 (36.4%)
 No 69 3 ( 4.3%) 2 ( 2.9%) 59 25 (42.4%) 11 (18.6%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 1.000 0.233
Current Taking Anti-Inflammatories?
 Yes 3 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 32 11 (34.4%) 6 (18.8%)
 No 66 3 ( 4.5%) 2 ( 3.0%) 38 19 (50.0%) 9 (23.7%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 1.000 0.230 0.772
Current Taking Pain Medications?
 Yes 3 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 46 20 (43.5%) 10 (21.7%)
 No 66 3 ( 4.5%) 2 ( 3.0%) 24 10 (41.7%) 5 (20.8%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000
Current Taking Cytotoxic Therapies?
 Yes 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 30 19 (63.3%) 12 (40.0%)
 No 69 3 ( 4.3%) 2 ( 2.9%) 40 11 (27.5%) 3 ( 7.5%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 0.004 0.002
Breast Cancer ER Status
 Positive 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 62 24 (38.7%) 12 (19.4%)
 Negative 0 0 ( 0.0%) 0 ( 0.0%) 8 6 (75.0%) 3 (37.5%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 0.066 0.355
Breast Cancer PR Status
 Positive 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 52 20 (38.5%) 10 (19.2%)
 Negative 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 18 10 (55.6%) 5 (27.8%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 0.272 0.510
Breast Cancer HER2-neu Status
 Positive 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 16 10 (62.5%) 7 (43.8%)
 Equivocal 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 6 1 (16.7%) 0 (0.0%)
 Negative 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 41 15 (36.6%) 7 (17.1%)
 Unknown 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 7 4 (57.1%) 1 (14.3%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 0.158 0.092
MBC Patient Disease Status
 Newly Diagnosed 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 5 2 (40.0%) 0 (0.0%)
 Stable / Responding 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 42 21 (50.0%) 12 (28.6%)
 Progressive / Recurrent 0 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 23 7 (30.4%) 3 (13.0%)
 Fisher’s Exact Test p-value –- –- 0.345 0.217