Figure 3.
Association of plasma MMP8 levels with the extent of lymph node metastasis and risk of distant metastasis. note: controls + pN0 comprises healthy women and breast cancer patients without detectable lymph node or distant metastasis; pN1+pN2 comprises patients with moderate lymph node metastasis but without distant metastasis; pN3 comprises patients with extensive lymph node metastasis and a high risk of distant metastasis (box-whisker diagrams with median, 1st quartile, 3rd quartile and non-outlier range).