Table 1.
Patients' characteristics at diagnosis according to CK-19 mRNA-positive cells during follow-up
| Characteristics | All Patients | CK-19 mRNA-persistently negative | CK-19 mRNA-persistently positive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | N | % | ||
| Patients enrolled | 312 | 80 | 25.6 | 99 | 31.7 | ||
| Age | Mann-Whitney P = 0.197 |
||||||
| median (range) | 54 (26 to 77) | 51.5 (26 to 75) | 54 (28 to 75) | ||||
| Menopausal status | P = 0.372 | ||||||
| Pre-menopausal | 145 | 46.5 | 41 | 51.3 | 44 | 44.4 | |
| Post-menopausal | 167 | 53.5 | 39 | 48.8 | 55 | 55.6 | |
| Tumor size | T2/T3 vs T1 | ||||||
| T1 | 116 | 37.2 | 30 | 37.5 | 33 | 33.3 | P = 0.637 |
| T2 | 174 | 55.8 | 43 | 53.8 | 59 | 59.6 | |
| T3 | 22 | 7.1 | 7 | 8.8 | 7 | 7.1 | |
| Lymph nodes | P = 0.082 | ||||||
| N0 | 107 | 34.3 | 33 | 41.3 | 28 | 28.3 | |
| N1 to 3 | 119 | 38.1 | 29 | 36.3 | 35 | 35.4 | |
| N > 3 | 86 | 27.6 | 18 | 22.5 | 36 | 36.4 | |
| Histology grade | P = 0.746 | ||||||
| 1/2 | 159 | 51.0 | 39 | 48.8 | 56 | 56.6 | |
| 3 | 119 | 38.1 | 28 | 35.0 | 36 | 36.4 | |
| lobular | 34 | 10.9 | 13 | 16.3 | 7 | 7.1 | |
| HR | P = 0.156 | ||||||
| ER(-)/PR(-) | 70 | 22.4 | 24 | 30.0 | 22 | 22.2 | |
| Other | 190 | 60.9 | 39 | 48.8 | 60 | 60.6 | |
| Unknown | 52 | 16.7 | 17 | 21.3 | 17 | 17.2 | |
| HR and Her-2 | P = 0.116 | ||||||
| ER(-)/PR(-)/HER-2(-) | 52 | 16.7 | 19 | 23.8 | 16 | 16.2 | |
| Other | 255 | 65.1 | 41 | 51.3 | 66 | 66.7 | |
| Unknowm | 57 | 18.3 | 20 | 25.0 | 17 | 17.2 | |
| Radiation therapy | P = 0.937 | ||||||
| No | 24 | 7.7 | 7 | 8.8 | 9 | 9.1 | |
| Yes | 289 | 92.3 | 73 | 91.2 | 90 | 90.9 | |
| Hormonotherapy | P = 0.103 | ||||||
| No | 23 | 7.4 | 10 | 12.5 | 5 | 5.1 | |
| Yes | 289 | 92.6 | 70 | 87.5 | 94 | 94.9 | |
| Type of hormonotherapy | P = 0.119 | ||||||
| No hormonotherapy | 23 | 7.4 | 10 | 12.5 | 5 | 5.1 | |
| AIs | 33 | 10.6 | 10 | 12.5 | 11 | 11.1 | |
| T | 50 | 16.0 | 10 | 12.5 | 19 | 19.2 | |
| AIs & T | 57 | 18.3 | 9 | 11.3 | 22 | 22.2 | |
| LHRH | 32 | 10.3 | 11 | 13.8 | 8 | 8.1 | |
| LHRH + T or AIs | 117 | 37.5 | 30 | 37.5 | 34 | 34.3 | |
| Chemotherapy | P = 0.011 | ||||||
| CMF | 30 | 9.6 | 11 | 13.8 | 4 | 4.0 | |
| FEC | 149 | 47.8 | 31 | 38.8 | 57 | 57.6 | |
| T/EC | 133 | 42.6 | 38 | 47.5 | 38 | 38.4 | |
AIs, aromatase inhibitors; CMF, cyclophosphamide-methotraxate-fluorouracil; FEC, fluorouracil-epirubicin-cyclophosphamide; HR, hormone receptor; LHRH, luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone; T, tamoxifen; T/EC, taxane/epirubicin-cyclophosphamide.