Table 2.
Patients’ characteristics (n = 52).
| Variable | Cases (n = 26) | Controls (n = 26) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | (%) | n | (%) | |
| Age at start of adjuvant therapy (years) | ||||
| Mean ± SD | 53.1 ± 12.6 | 53.7 ± 11.4 | ||
| Menopausal Status | ||||
| Pre-menopause | 10 | (38.5) | 11 | (42.3) |
| Post-menopause | 16 | (61.5) | 15 | (57.7) |
| Stage of Disease | ||||
| I | 2 | (8.0) | 7 | (30.4) ** |
| II | 7 | (28.0) | 13 | (56.5) |
| III | 16 | (64.0) | 3 | (13.0) |
| Unknown | 1 | 3 | ||
| Lymph Node Status | ||||
| pN negative | 4 | (16.7) | 14 | (53.9) ** |
| pN positive | 20 | (83.3) | 12 | (46.2) |
| Unknown | 2 | 0 | ||
| Tumor Size (at Diagnosis) | ||||
| pT1 | 7 | (26.9) | 21 | (80.8) ** |
| pT2 | 8 | (30.8) | 5 | (19.2) |
| pT3 | 6 | (23.1) | 0 | (0.0) |
| pT4 | 5 | (19.2) | 0 | (0.0) |
| Tumor Histology | ||||
| Ductal carcinoma | 22 | (84.6) | 23 | (88.5) |
| Lobular carcinoma | 1 | (3.9) | 2 | (7.7) |
| Other | 3 | (11.5) | 1 | (3.9) |
| Histologic Grade | ||||
| 1 | 1 | (4.2) | 1 | (4.0) |
| 2 | 8 | (33.3) | 10 | (40.0) |
| 3 | 15 | (62.5) | 14 | (56.0) |
| Unknown | 2 | 1 | ||
| Ki-67 | ||||
| <20% | 8 | (30.8) | 9 | (34.6) |
| ≥20% | 18 | (69.2) | 17 | (65.4) |
| ER | ||||
| Negative | 7 | (26.9) | 7 | (26.9) |
| Positive | 19 | (73.1) | 19 | (73.1) |
| PgR | ||||
| Negative | 11 | (44.0) | 11 | (42.3) |
| Positive | 14 | (56.0) | 15 | (57.7) |
| Unknown | 1 | 0 | ||
| VI | ||||
| No | 3 | (37.5) | 10 | (66.7) |
| Yes | 5 | (62.5) | 5 | (33.3) |
| Unknown | 18 | 11 | ||
| Adjuvant Chemotherapy in combination with Trastuzumab | ||||
| Anthracyclines and taxanes | 7 | (26.9) | 17 | (65.4) ** |
| Taxanes only | 4 | (15.4) | 2 | (7.7) |
| Anthracyclines only | 3 | (11.5) | 7 | (26.9) |
| Other (endocrine therapy, CMF, vinorelbine) | 12 | (46.2) | 0 | (0.0) |
| BMI at start of Adjuvant Chemotherapy | ||||
| Mean ± SD | 25.9 ± 3.2 | 23.6 ± 4.4 * | ||
** p-value < 0.01; * p-value < 0.05; SD: standard deviation; ER: estrogen receptor; PgR: progesterone receptor; VI: vascular invasion; BMI: body mass index; CMF: Cyclophosphamide Methotrexate Fluorouracil.